Tidbyt vs SideCar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tidbyt
This app connects a smart display to the internet, allowing you to customize its content. Glance at your desk to see the time, weather, calendar, and other useful information without needing your phone.
- Device setup and internet connection
- Brightness and settings adjustment
- Screen selection from a growing collection
- Display time, weather, calendar, stocks, and more
- Internet connection required
- Bluetooth connectivity
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Tidbyt is a smart display for your desk or shelf. It shows you the time, weather, your calendar, and more. Put your Tidbyt on your desk and stay updated just by glancing over. No need to even take your phone out of your pocket. With this app, you can: - Setup your Tidbyt device and get it connected to the Internet. - Adjust your Tidbyt's brightness and other settings. - Choose what to show on your Tidbyt. Pick from our growing collection of screens like weather, train times, stocks, and more. To use this app you'll need a working Internet connection, Bluetooth, and a Tidbyt device. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
SideCar
This application allows users to set up and manage their SideCar device directly from their smartphone. It provides a streamlined interface for configuration and ongoing control of the device's features.
- Device setup
- Device management
- Smartphone control
- Streamlined interface
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Setup and manage SideCar from your phone
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tidbyt at 51% against SideCar's 0%. Tidbyt also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.4) and update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). SideCar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price 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. Tidbyt sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. SideCar asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tidbyt holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tidbyt has 142 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Tidbyt's written reviews are positive against 0% of SideCar's.
Tidbyt ships an update monthly, SideCar every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tidbyt | SideCar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (142 ratings) — better | 2.4 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 51.4% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 142 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 67 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Tidbyt, Inc. | Epilog Imaging Systems, Inc. |
Customer experience
Tidbyt
SideCar
Bugs and requests
Tidbyt
Reported bugs
18 issues- Email verification link broken during account creation
- App crashes when removing Houston Metro Transit widget
- Settings gear icon disappears after update
- Search functionality not working
- Add button unresponsive for some apps
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- App forced logout with no recovery option
- Weather app not updating properly
- App slow performance and loading delays
- Deep link for email verification fails
- Setup screen stuck on location input
- App quits when opened
- Add app button blocks menu button
- Pixel display issues on iPad (partially fixed)
- Apps disappearing after updates
- White screen crashes
- Live news feeds scroll too fast with no speed control
- BART transit times not displaying
- YouTube stats app broken
Requested features
16 requests- Multiple team tracking for sports (NFL, NCAA, Hockey)
- Individual app display duration control
- App reordering without deletion and re-download
- Scheduled night mode for different days
- Apple Music and podcast support
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- iOS notifications and calendar integration
- iMessage and reminder support
- Shared calendar support
- Per-app scheduling options
- Display during game time only for sports apps
- App locking to display specific content
- PGA Tour golf tracking
- World Cup soccer coverage
- NCAA Basketball updates
- Better documentation for API keys
- Developer tools for non-coders
SideCar
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Tidbyt
- Tidbyt Plus7 Days trial$4.991 Month
SideCar
No in-app purchases
