Foam Madness vs CucumberBall
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Foam Madness
Simulate basketball tournaments and single games with customizable rounds and shot values. Features include random shooting hand assignments based on historical data and live game scores from the ESPN API.
- Customizable rounds and shot values
- Random shooting hand assignment
- Single game mode
- Tournament mode with bracket selection
- Live game scores via ESPN API
- Men's and women's tournament brackets
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This app was made as a fun way to pass the time with a basketball hoop and ball (whether mini or full-size) during shelter-in-place in Spring 2020, with a certain college tournament otherwise cancelled. Game Rules Games are built with four rounds, made up of 10 shots (by default, but customizable from 3 to 15 shots) of escalating value: 1 point, 2 points, 3 points, and 4 points. Clicking on an individual basketball to make it orange will count it as a made shot; leaving it gray will not be counted. Points are only displayed at the end of all four rounds for each team, and then a statistics view is also available to show percentages by round. If overtime is needed, an additional round of shots is given per team, with each basket worth one point. An additional round of shots is added per additional overtime period, as necessary. Shooting Hand Each team is given a random selection to shoot either right or left-handed, set so that the "better" team has a better chance to shoot with their dominant hand. This chance is calculated separately for each team (i.e. both teams could end up shooting with the same hand) based on historical win probabilities in the tournament when those seeds face each other. Equal seeds, or seeds that have never faced each other, have a 50 percent chance of either hand. Single games outside of tournaments operate as if the teams are equal seeds. Single Game A single game will consist of players selecting two teams, with a 50% chance for each team to shoot each right or left handed; as noted above, this is calculated separately, so each team could end up shooting with the same hand. All teams in Division 1 are available to play with, not just tournament teams. Tournament Mode Tournament mode requires the user to either select an initial bracket or make a customizable bracket, and then they can select individual games to play by round or region. The currently viewed round can be changed with the +/- button from within a single tournament's menu (if in List view style), or the currently viewed region can be changed by selecting a different region (if in Bracket view style), although games will be unplayable until both teams have been decided for a given game (typically applicable to later rounds). Both men's and women's tournament brackets are available. You may simulate, and therefore not play, individual tournament games (but not single games), or even an entire tournament, where desired; the winner will be based on historical win probabilities, as used for shooting hand determination in a non-simulated game. Note that no statistics will be recorded, and the winner of each game will be given a winning score of 1 to 0. Live Game Scores Live game scores are obtained through the ESPN API.
CucumberBall
Organize pickleball matches and manage groups effortlessly. This app streamlines game setup, provides real-time scoring, and tracks player statistics. Focus on playing and improving your game with smart session organization and various game formats.
- Permanent group management
- Smart session organization
- Multiple game formats
- Real-time scoring and bracket updates
- Session summaries and history
- In-app chat for coordination
- Comprehensive stat tracking
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Take the hassle out of organizing your pickleball matches with CucumberBall, the complete group management and session tracking app designed specifically for pickleball players. Stop worrying about managing several different apps and spreadsheets just so you can get on the court. Whether you want to play with a group or with some new friends you met at the courts, CucumberBall handles the logistics so you can focus on the game. Key Features: Permanent Groups: Create and manage dedicated large groups all within the app. Keep your local pickleball community connected in one place. Smart Session Organization: Set up games for your group or play independently. CucumberBall tells you exactly which court you are on and who you are partnering with. Various game formats: Instantly generate fair, team or single randomized round-robin matchups, as well as King of the Court games, without the need for spreadsheets or whiteboards. Real-Time Scoring: Submit scores directly in the app and get real-time feedback and bracket updates as games finish. Session Summaries: Conclude your session and get immediate feedback, showing everyone who played the stats for the sessions. Go back and view your session stats any time in your session history! In-App Chat: Coordinate game times, trash talk, or share updates using the built-in text chat. Easily copy and paste important messages. Comprehensive Stat Tracking: Watch your game improve over time. Track win percentages records and individual performance metrics across the lifetime of your account, alongside overall group statistics. Stop worrying about who is playing next and start dominating the court. Download CucumberBall today and streamline your pickleball experience!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CucumberBall at every 2 months against Foam Madness's every 5 months. Foam Madness's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Foam Madness against 5.0 for CucumberBall. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.
Foam Madness ships an update every 5 months, CucumberBall every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Foam Madness | CucumberBall |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Michael Virgo | CucumberBall LLC |
Customer experience
Foam Madness
CucumberBall
In-app purchases
Foam Madness
No in-app purchases
CucumberBall
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Foam Madness free?
Is CucumberBall free?
Which has better reviews, Foam Madness or CucumberBall?
Do Foam Madness or CucumberBall have ads?
Which is updated more often, Foam Madness or CucumberBall?
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