# FTA Buddy vs PractiCal AR

The clearest difference is update cadence: PractiCal AR at monthly against FTA Buddy's every 8 months. FTA Buddy's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for FTA Buddy against 5.0 for PractiCal AR. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

FTA Buddy ships an update every 8 months, PractiCal AR monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FTA Buddy | PractiCal AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fta-buddy/id1454760348/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/practical-ar/id6757085499/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 10 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ken Schenke](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454106398) | [A2IDEA, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1303647168) |

## What reviewers say

### FTA Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fta-buddy/id1454760348)

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.

**Highlights:** Embedded field monitor browser, Technical flashcards, Quick reference guide, Assists FTA/FTAA roles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PractiCal AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/practical-ar/id6757085499)

This app uses augmented reality to help FIRST Robotics Competition teams calibrate AprilTag placement on practice fields. It detects tags, builds field maps, and compares positions to ideal layouts, exporting reports for further use. It also includes AR mini-games for practice.

**Highlights:** AprilTag detection with 3D pose, Field map building, Ideal vs. actual tag comparison, Calibration report export (CSV, JSON, Markdown), 3D field model viewer, AR mini-games for practice

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FTA Buddy free?

FTA Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PractiCal AR free?

PractiCal AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FTA Buddy or PractiCal AR?

FTA Buddy and PractiCal AR are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do FTA Buddy or PractiCal AR have ads?

Neither FTA Buddy nor PractiCal AR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FTA Buddy or PractiCal AR?

FTA Buddy ships an update every 8 months, and PractiCal AR monthly. Most recently, FTA Buddy was updated on September 20, 2026 and PractiCal AR on October 1, 2026.

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