# New Star Baseball vs Sidekicked

The clearest difference is ads: Sidekicked at none against New Star Baseball's shown. Sidekicked also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). New Star Baseball's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. New Star Baseball sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Sidekicked sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

New Star Baseball ships an update every 11 days, Sidekicked every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Star Baseball | Sidekicked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-star-baseball/id1471629480/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 165 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [New Star Publishing Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1114811227) | [Matthew Ryan](https://appshunter.io/developer/585384402) |

## What reviewers say

### New Star Baseball

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-star-baseball/id1471629480)

Live the life of a professional baseball player, from rookie to Hall of Famer. Make crucial decisions on and off the field, manage your career, and navigate the temptations of fame and fortune. Experience a dynamic journey with optional pitching mechanics and customizable playstyles.

**Highlights:** Professional baseball career simulation, Player skill training and development, Optional pitching mechanics, Lifestyle management and choices, Equipment and ability upgrades, Multiple play styles with one-touch controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bux Pack #1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Bat Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pro Agent Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bux Pack #2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove Interstitial Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| NRG Pro Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Expert Agent Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Staff Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Gear Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Expert Staff Bundle | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bux Pack #3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Expert Gear Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bux Pack #4 | $23.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Good gameplay
- 👍 Fun and engaging
- 🚀 Addictive
- 👍 Great concept
- 🚀 Polished and well-developed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent batting and fielding mechanics
- 🔋 Energy system too restrictive
- 🐛 Unrealistic player ratings and progression
- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy at times
- 💰 Monetization model too aggressive

**Reported bugs**

- Batting and hitting outcomes not matching player input
- Throwing to cutoff man not registering properly
- Inconsistent and unreliable base running mechanics
- Frequent crashes and black screen issues
- Progression system and ratings not accurately reflecting performance

**Requested features**

- Allow choosing starting team
- Add stealing and triples
- Improve pitching and fielding controls
- Implement more realistic baseball statistics
- Provide option to skip tutorial


### Sidekicked

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidekicked/id6773985389)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Booster Pack | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is New Star Baseball free?

New Star Baseball is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sidekicked free?

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

### Do New Star Baseball or Sidekicked have ads?

New Star Baseball shows ads; Sidekicked does not.

### Which is updated more often, New Star Baseball or Sidekicked?

New Star Baseball ships an update every 11 days, and Sidekicked every 4 days. Most recently, New Star Baseball was updated on October 20, 2026 and Sidekicked on October 12, 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.*