Comparison

Backbone vs Petersen Drive

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

Petersen Drive

Features
Read full description

Petersen Drive is your ultimate companion for planning and navigating car rallies. Create custom routes with 3D maps, add checkpoints, and guide your convoy with real-time navigation, even offline. Whether you’re hosting a rally, exploring scenic drives, or joining an event, Petersen Drive gives you the precision and control to plan, track, and relive every journey. Built for car clubs, rally organisers, and passionate drivers who live for the road.

Screenshots

Backbone4 screens
Petersen Drive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Petersen Drive at none against Backbone's 16. Petersen Drive also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Backbone's advantage is chart position (#68 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Backbone sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Petersen Drive asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backbone ships an update every 3 weeks, Petersen Drive every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Backbone versus Petersen Drive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackbonePetersen Drive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (101K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings101K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#68 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size441 MB160 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperBackbone Labs, Inc. (US)Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation

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

Petersen Drive

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

14 purchases

Backbone

Subscriptions14
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Backbone+$3.991 Month
  • Backbone+$7.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • 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
None

Petersen Drive

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backbone free?
Backbone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Petersen Drive free?
Petersen Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Backbone or Petersen Drive have ads?
Neither Backbone nor Petersen Drive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backbone or Petersen Drive?
Backbone ships an update every 3 weeks, and Petersen Drive every 11 days. Most recently, Backbone was updated on October 19, 2026 and Petersen Drive on October 1, 2026.

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