VGamepad vs FTA Buddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VGamepad
Transform your phone into a versatile PC game controller. Enjoy customizable buttons, motion controls, and haptic feedback for an immersive gaming experience. Connect wirelessly to your computer for seamless play.
- Emulates standard controllers
- Motion control via phone sensors
- AR body tracking for games
- Customizable button layout
- Haptic and sound feedback
- Mouse & keyboard support
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VGamepad gives you the full experience of a physical controller. Customizable buttons, haptic feedback, motion control, and more. Play on your PC using nothing but your phone. Features: - Emulates standard controllers (including Joy-Con). - Motion Control: steer, aim, and move using your phone’s sensors. - AR Body Tracking (iPhone XS or later): play certain games using body motion. - Customizable layout: move and resize buttons to fit your hands. - Game Capture button for quick recording. - Haptic feedback that makes every press feel physical. - Pressure-sensitive inputs with 3D Touch (supported devices). - Optional sound feedback for buttons. - Change joystick images from a large selection. - Basic mouse & keyboard support (W/A/S/D buttons on keyboard). Connectivity: Use the simple Windows/Mac companion app for Wi-Fi/LAN pairing, or use PCGameConsole to turn your PC into a full gaming console compatible with VGamepad. Full setup guide: https://github.com/PJSoftCo/VGamepad TERMS OF USE: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ PRIVACY POLICY: https://pjsoftco.com/vgamepadpp.html ONLINE SUPPORT: Please join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/ZcAuAJp8py
FTA Buddy
This utility app assists volunteers in specific roles at FIRST Robotics Competition events. It provides quick access to a field monitor, technical flashcards, and a reference guide for helpful information.
- Embedded field monitor browser
- Technical flashcards
- Quick reference guide
- Assists FTA/FTAA roles
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This app is for volunteers at FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) events in the FTA (FIRST Technical Adviser) or FTAA (FIRST Technical Adviser Assistant) roles. It's a small app that serves three main purposes: display the field monitor in an embedded browser, show flashcards (like the FTA Notepad app), and show a quick reference page with some helpful technical tidbits.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: FTA Buddy at Free against VGamepad's $14.99. FTA Buddy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). VGamepad's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
FTA Buddy is free to download; VGamepad costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
FTA Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VGamepad has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of VGamepad's written reviews are positive against 100% of FTA Buddy's.
VGamepad ships an update fortnightly, FTA Buddy every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VGamepad | FTA Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.1 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | PJSOFTCO | Ken Schenke |
Customer experience
VGamepad
FTA Buddy
In-app purchases
VGamepad
No in-app purchases
FTA Buddy
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is VGamepad free?
Is FTA Buddy free?
Which has better reviews, VGamepad or FTA Buddy?
Do VGamepad or FTA Buddy have ads?
Which is updated more often, VGamepad or FTA Buddy?
Other comparisons
