NPT Backyard vs Trex AR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NPT Backyard
Visualize your dream pool in your own backyard using augmented reality. This app offers stunning 4k graphics, advanced lighting, and realistic water simulations to help you design and preview your perfect pool.
- Augmented Reality pool visualization
- 4k graphics
- Realistic lighting effects
- Advanced water systems
- Design your dream pool
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This application will no longer be available. Existing users will be required to upgrade to the new version and when opened, Users will be directed to our Website.
Trex AR
Visualize outdoor living spaces with this augmented reality tool. Explore different decking and railing options in your own environment. Design basic deck shapes, estimate square footage, and find local professionals.
- AR visualization of decking and railing
- View entire decking portfolio
- Experiment with railing pairings
- Build basic deck shapes
- Estimate square footage
- Order samples
- Find builders and retailers
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Discover your outdoor inspiration with this unique visualizer. This AR tool is designed to quickly and easily show how Trex® decking and railing can be the perfect platform for outdoor living for years to come. It allows you to develop basic deck shapes in nearly any outdoor or indoor environment to get you started on the journey to building an outdoor oasis. Using the latest in AR technology you can: >> View Trex's entire decking portfolio as a live view either in your backyard space or your living room >> Experiment with the most popular railing offerings to pair with your favorite Trex deck color >> Build basic shapes and get square footage for your design >> Order samples through links in the My Deck page >> Find builders or retailers to help get you started
Screenshots
Verdict
NPT Backyard and Trex AR both sit at 3.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 43% of NPT Backyard's written reviews are positive against 6% of Trex AR's. NPT Backyard also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Trex AR's advantage is ratings volume (719 vs 101) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Trex AR holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Trex AR has 719 ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of NPT Backyard's written reviews are positive against 6% of Trex AR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
NPT Backyard ships an update every 2 months, Trex AR every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NPT Backyard | Trex AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (101 ratings) | 3.9 (719 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 42.5% of reviews — better | 5.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 101 | 719 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 117 MB | 536 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pool Corporation | Trex Co, Inc |
Customer experience
NPT Backyard
Trex AR
User reviews
NPT Backyard
From 101 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great for visualizing pool options
- 👍 Helpful for remodel planning
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Good for comparing finishes and colors
- 👍 AR view enhances visualization
Room to improve
- 😞 Limited design options
- 😞 Cannot create custom pool shapes
- 😞 AR view often doesn't work
- 😞 Inaccurate rendering of water color
- 😞 App crashes frequently
Trex AR
From 719 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great visual effects
- 👍 Handy and easy to use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Freezes upon opening
- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy
- 👎 Not user-friendly
- 👎 Difficult to use
- 👎 Unclear how to proceed
Bugs and requests
NPT Backyard
Reported bugs
6 issues- AR doesn't work
- App crashes when viewing tiles
- App crashes frequently
- App is slow and hangs
- Water color doesn't change with plaster choices
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- Tutorial is useless
Requested features
6 requests- Option to design a remodel for existing pools
- Ability to change pool dimensions within the app
- More standard pool shapes available (e.g., round spa)
- Include all pool tiles from the catalog
- Ability to drag and position the pool design in the yard
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- More realistic water color rendering based on plaster choices
Trex AR
Reported bugs
4 issues- Camera function doesn't work
- Can't save or restart scans
- Deck placement and sizing issues
- Crashes and freezes frequently
Requested features
4 requests- Allow uploading photos to build off of
- Add ability to adjust deck height and add stairs
- Improve visualization and make it more realistic
- Provide more guidance and instructions
In-app purchases
NPT Backyard
No in-app purchases
Trex AR
No in-app purchases
