Comparison

Nookphone Companion vs SwitchBuddy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Nookphone Companion

This app serves as a comprehensive guide and database for a popular life simulation game. It features a NookPhone-style interface to help players track in-game creatures, fossils, DIY recipes, villagers, and art. It also includes content for game expansions and updates.

Highlights
  • NookPhone-style interface
  • Critter and fossil database
  • DIY recipe collection
  • Villager personality guide
  • Art collection with authenticity tips
  • K.K. Slider song collection
  • Happy Home Paradise content
Features
Read full description

This guide brings the look and feel of Animal Crossing: New Horizons to your pocket and gives you a full companion for critters, fossils, and everything else in the game. It includes: - A NookPhone-style interface - Insects, fish, and sea creatures with handy availability filters - A full fossil list - A large DIY collection with smart search - A complete villager list with their unique personality traits - An art collection with tips to tell real from fake artworks - A collection of songs by the beloved K.K. Slider - Happy Home Paradise – Browse HHP items and vacation-home content right from your NookPhone - Resort & hotel – Resort and hotel updates so your island getaway info stays current - ACNH 3.0 – Fully compatible with Animal Crossing: New Horizons version 3.0 Please enjoy using this app, and leave a review if you liked it! Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round. Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want. Build your community from scratch on a deserted island brimming with possibility Create your personal getaway and customize your character, home, decorations, and even the landscape itself Collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools! Then, use what you create to give your island a personal touch Watch as the time of day and seasons match real life—even your hemisphere! Each day holds potential for surprises and discoveries Get to know the island residents, garden, fish, decorate, hunt for fossils, and more! Show off your paradise – play on the same system with a total of 4 people***, or play together online** or over local wireless*** for fun with up to 8 players

About

SwitchBuddy

This app helps Nintendo Switch owners manage their games and content. It offers features like eShop deal notifications, faster media transfer, game discovery, and customizable widgets for your home screen. Most features are free, with an optional subscription for extras.

Highlights
  • eShop deal notifications with price history
  • Faster screenshot and video transfer
  • Game discovery and release tracking
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • View OpenCritic 'Mighty' rated games
  • Customizable themes and icons
Features
Read full description

*Not official app. Not affiliated with Nintendo* • No account required • No ads • The companion app for your Switch & Switch 2. What can you do with SwitchBuddy? - Create wishlist and get notification when game is on sale (+ you can view price history) - Transfer screenshots & videos from Switch 1 much faster. - Discover new games released for your console - Add countdown and other widgets to your Home Screen & Lock Screen - View all the games rated "Mighty" by OpenCritic & much more! Most of the app is totally free; try it today! :-) # Transfer Scan just the first QR code to transfer from your Switch 1 console. You can transfer up to ten screenshots or a single video. Select Photos or iCloud Drive as the export destination. Are you playing on a TV? No problem; with zoom, you can comfortably scan the needed QR code from your sofa. # Gallery View the screenshot & videos you transferred in a convenient gallery; items are grouped by game and can be quickly shared. # Games - Discovery & database Track upcoming game releases - view screenshots, trailers, and more about games you can play soon! Favorite games for quick access and easily share them with friends. # Widgets SwitchBuddy has a variety of widgets - release countdowns, Switch 2 coutndown, Up Next, Calendar, Transfer shortcuts... And some of them also work on your Lock Screen. # eShop prices + wishlist Easily see game prices, current deals, and wishlist games to be notified about price drops. You can also change eShop region to view prices for different countries. # News Articles & Videos Stay up-to-date on the newest game releases, reviews, hardware, and more! And more Make the app yours with themes and alternative icons. Themes inspired by Mario, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, and Switch OLED are available. #SwitchBuddy+ Get all the extras and remove the limit of favorite games with an optional subscription. You will also support this one-person team :-) SwitchBuddy is not affiliated with Nintendo. ---- Privacy Policy: https://impresskit.net/p/b20391f2-0e94-4db3-81dd-d366e0c7f87c Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Nookphone Companion4 screens
SwitchBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SwitchBuddy at 4.8 against Nookphone Companion's 3.9. SwitchBuddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 52%). Nookphone Companion's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nookphone Companion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SwitchBuddy sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SwitchBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 343 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Nookphone Companion's written reviews are positive against 80% of SwitchBuddy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nookphone Companion ships an update monthly, SwitchBuddy every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Nookphone Companion versus SwitchBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNookphone CompanionSwitchBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (343 ratings)4.8 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.5% of reviews80.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3431.6K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB52 MB
Age rating4++9
DeveloperGeert van DrunenFilip Nemecek

Customer experience

Nookphone Companion

All ratings343 ratings
Positive70.8%
Neutral8.7%
Negative20.4%
Written reviews165 reviews
Positive51.5%
Neutral20.6%
Negative27.9%

SwitchBuddy

All ratings1,632 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews181 reviews
Positive80.1%
Neutral7.2%
Negative12.7%

User reviews

Nookphone Companion

From 343 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💎 Helpful for tracking progress
  • 🔍 Comprehensive information
  • 🎨 Useful for art and design
  • 🗓️ Convenient event calendar
  • 🤝 Villager information and gift guide

Room to improve

  • 📢 Too many ads
  • 🔒 Paid unlock required for full features
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🗺️ Missing some in-game features
  • 🔍 Incomplete or outdated information

SwitchBuddy

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy and fast photo/video transfer
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Convenient way to manage Switch games
  • 👍 Helpful for discovering new Switch games
  • 👍 Great app for Switch owners

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with deleting/managing stored media
  • 💰 Paid subscription required for full features
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes reported
  • 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data usage

Bugs and requests

Nookphone Companion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Calendar and event information not working
  • Critter and item lists missing content
  • Ads hijacking the app and preventing use

Requested features

5 requests
  • Turnip price tracker
  • Customizable checklists
  • Ability to link to game account
  • More language support
  • Expanded villager and item details

SwitchBuddy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Camera feature not working after recent update
  • Inability to delete stored media from the app
  • Frequent freezing and performance issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add folders/organization for transferred media
  • Expand platform support beyond just Nintendo Switch
  • Improve search and filtering capabilities
  • Provide more detailed game information and reviews

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Nookphone Companion

One-time1
  • Removing ads$4.99
8 purchases

SwitchBuddy

Subscriptions2
  • SwitchBuddy+7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • SwitchBuddy+7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time6
  • Coffee-sized Tip$1.99
  • Lunch-sized Tip$3.99
  • Book-sized Tip$7.99
Show 3 more
  • SwitchBuddy+ One-time (OFFER)$17.99
  • Game-sized Tip$19.99
  • SwitchBuddy+ One-time unlock$34.99

Questions

Is Nookphone Companion free?
Nookphone Companion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SwitchBuddy free?
SwitchBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nookphone Companion or SwitchBuddy?
SwitchBuddy is rated higher. Nookphone Companion averages 3.9 out of 5 from 343 ratings, while SwitchBuddy averages 4.8 from 1.6K ratings.
Do Nookphone Companion or SwitchBuddy have ads?
Nookphone Companion shows ads; SwitchBuddy does not.
Which is updated more often, Nookphone Companion or SwitchBuddy?
Nookphone Companion ships an update monthly, and SwitchBuddy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Nookphone Companion was updated on November 3, 2026 and SwitchBuddy on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons