# Backbone vs Penhall Company

The clearest difference is rating: Backbone at 4.8 against Penhall Company's 3.4. Backbone also leads on ratings volume (103K vs 5) and chart position (#69 vs unranked). Penhall Company's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backbone sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Penhall Company asks for nothing beyond the download.

Backbone holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backbone has 103K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Backbone ships an update every 3 weeks, Penhall Company fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backbone | Penhall Company |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (103K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backbone-next-level-play/id1449660663/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penhall-company/id1539911039/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **103K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 51.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#69** | — |
| Size | 424 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +12 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Backbone Labs, Inc. (US)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449660662) | [Penhall Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539911041) |

## What reviewers say

### Backbone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backbone-next-level-play/id1449660663)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #121 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a powerful gaming console. Stream and play games from various services, record and share epic gameplay clips, and connect with friends for seamless multiplayer experiences. Features automatic highlight detection and in-app voice chat.

**Highlights:** Turns iPhone/iPad into a gaming device, Supports PS Remote Play, Xbox Game Pass, Apple Arcade, Record, edit, and share gameplay clips, Automatic highlight detection, Rich Presence for friend notifications, In-app voice chat

**Features:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backbone+ | $3.99 | per month |
| Backbone+ | $3.99 | per month |
| Backbone+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great gaming experience
- 👍 Seamless integration with app
- 🎮 Feels like a dedicated gaming device
- 💡 Turns phone into a portable console
- 🎨 Sleek and premium design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🔌 Requires removing phone case
- 🎮 Ergonomics not ideal for all games
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Random disconnections during gameplay
- App crashes and freezes
- Issues with controller button mapping
- Incompatibility with certain games

**Requested features**

- Allow use without subscription
- Add more customization options
- Improve compatibility with various phone models
- Integrate with more cloud gaming services


### Penhall Company

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penhall-company/id1539911039)

This app serves as a communication and information hub for employees and interested parties of a large concrete services provider. It offers company news, job openings, leadership information, and project updates. Users can also interact with colleagues through commenting and chat features.

**Highlights:** Company news and updates, Job opening information, Leadership team profiles, Latest project details, Sales materials and locations, Push notifications, Colleague interaction via chat and comments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backbone free?

Backbone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Penhall Company free?

Penhall Company is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Backbone or Penhall Company?

Backbone is rated higher. Backbone averages 4.8 out of 5 from 103K ratings, while Penhall Company averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do Backbone or Penhall Company have ads?

Neither Backbone nor Penhall Company shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backbone or Penhall Company?

Backbone ships an update every 3 weeks, and Penhall Company fortnightly. Most recently, Backbone was updated on November 12, 2026 and Penhall Company on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*