Backbone vs Niantic Campfire
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backbone
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a powerful gaming console. Play a wide range of games and services, record and share epic gameplay moments, and connect with friends for seamless multiplayer experiences. Discover and launch your favorite controller-supported games from a single app.
- Play any game or service supporting controllers
- Record, edit, and share gameplay clips
- Automatic highlight detection
- Friend notifications and in-app voice chat
- Centralized game launcher
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Backbone turns your iPhone and iPad Mini into the ultimate gaming device. ■ Play any game or service that supports game controllers. The Backbone One controller works with services like PS Remote Play, Xbox Game Pass (xCloud), Apple Arcade, Xbox Remote Play, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna. It also works with games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Minecraft and Genshin Impact. Press the Backbone Button to bring up the app and launch into your favorite games that support controllers from one place. ■ Record, edit, and share epic gaming clips Backbone One has a built-in Capture button that allows you to easily screen record or screenshot gameplay and share directly to social platforms like Instagram Stories and iMessage, all directly from your mobile device. ■ Never miss a moment Hold the Capture Button to bookmark a moment when recording. Forgot to bookmark? Once a video is captured, Backbone’s app helps you identify your most action-packed moments automatically, allowing you to show off your best moments and highlights with ease. ■ Party with your friends With Backbone’s Rich Presence feature, you can get push notifications when your friends start playing games on Backbone, making it easy to join the action in real-time. Once you see a friend online, you can link up for voice chat inside the app and move from game to game, seamlessly. To learn more, download the app or visit https://backbone.com/ A Backbone+ subscription is required for some features within the app. Any feedback? Use the in-app feedback tool, ping us at support@playbackbone.com or tweet us @backbone Terms of Use: https://backbone.com/terms/
Niantic Campfire
Discover and connect with nearby players for real-world gaming experiences. Plan activities, find communities, and communicate with friends to accomplish in-game quests and schedule gatherings.
- Discover real-time activities
- Plan ahead with Campfire Map
- Find game communities
- Connect with new players
- Direct and group messaging
- Schedule group gatherings
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Campfire gives the Niantic community a new way to experience the joy of real-world gameplay. Find and connect with nearby players to accomplish in-game activities and quests! • Discover real-time activities and plan ahead using the Campfire Map • Find game communities and meet new players in your area • Connect with players through direct messages and group messages • Schedule group gatherings with old and new groups • Manage your Niantic ID and Niantic friends
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Backbone at 4.8 against Niantic Campfire's 3.1. Backbone also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 21%) and ratings volume (100K vs 1.4K). Niantic Campfire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Backbone sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Niantic Campfire asks for nothing beyond the download.
Backbone holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backbone has 100K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Backbone's written reviews are positive against 21% of Niantic Campfire's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backbone | Niantic Campfire |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (100K ratings) — better | 3.1 (1.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews — better | 21.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 100K — better | 1.4K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #52 — better | #184 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 422 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Backbone Labs, Inc. (US) | Scopely Explore, Inc. |
Customer experience
Backbone
Niantic Campfire
User reviews
Backbone
From 100K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great gaming experience
- 👍 Seamless integration with app
- 🎮 Feels like a dedicated gaming device
- 💡 Turns phone into a portable console
- 🎨 Sleek and premium design
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🔌 Requires removing phone case
- 🎮 Ergonomics not ideal for all games
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs
Niantic Campfire
From 1.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Helpful for finding raids
- 🤝 Ability to connect with local players
- 📍 Accurate raid map
- 💬 Good for coordinating meetups
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🤖 Lack of notifications
- 🕰️ Long wait times to find raid groups
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 📱 Clunky and unintuitive UI
Bugs and requests
Backbone
Reported bugs
4 issues- Random disconnections during gameplay
- App crashes and freezes
- Issues with controller button mapping
- Incompatibility with certain games
Requested features
4 requests- Allow use without subscription
- Add more customization options
- Improve compatibility with various phone models
- Integrate with more cloud gaming services
Niantic Campfire
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to host or join raids
- Constantly asks to download Pokémon GO
- Notifications not working properly
- Crashes and freezes on login
Requested features
5 requests- Add pokestop locations to map
- Implement dark mode
- Allow filtering and searching for specific raids
- Improve group chat and messaging features
- Integrate with Pokémon GO more seamlessly
In-app purchases
Backbone
- Backbone+7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Backbone+$3.991 Month
- Backbone+$7.991 Month
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- Backbone+1 Month trial2 variants$29.991 Year
- Backbone+1 Year trial$29.991 Year
- Backbone+1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
- Backbone+1 Month trial$39.991 Year
- Backbone+3 Months trial$39.991 Year
- Backbone+7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Backbone+14 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Backbone+3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Backbone+ 41 Year trial$39.991 Year
- Backbone+14 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Backbone+7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Niantic Campfire
No in-app purchases
