# SwitchBuddy vs Shugyo8

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shugyo8 at none against SwitchBuddy's 8. Shugyo8 also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SwitchBuddy sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Shugyo8 asks for nothing beyond the download.

SwitchBuddy ships an update every 3 weeks, Shugyo8 every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SwitchBuddy | Shugyo8 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/switchbuddy-switch-app/id1563251210/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 52 MB | 207 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | +9 | 9+ |
| Developer | [Filip Nemecek](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291909818) | [Juergen Schneider](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835464170) |

## What reviewers say

### SwitchBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/switchbuddy-switch-app/id1563251210)

This app serves as a companion for your gaming console, offering features like game wishlists with sale notifications, faster media transfers, game discovery, and customizable widgets for your home and lock screens. It also provides access to game news and pricing information.

**Highlights:** Game wishlist with sale notifications, Faster screenshot and video transfer, Game discovery and release tracking, Home and Lock Screen widgets, eShop price tracking and region switching, Game news and articles

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SwitchBuddy+ | $1.99 | per month |
| SwitchBuddy+ | $17.99 | per year |
| Coffee-sized Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lunch-sized Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Book-sized Tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| SwitchBuddy+ One-time (OFFER) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Game-sized Tip | $19.99 | one-time |
| SwitchBuddy+ One-time unlock | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Shugyo8

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shugyo8/id6794721109)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SwitchBuddy free?

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

### Is Shugyo8 free?

Shugyo8 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SwitchBuddy or Shugyo8 have ads?

Neither SwitchBuddy nor Shugyo8 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SwitchBuddy or Shugyo8?

SwitchBuddy ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shugyo8 every 6 days. Most recently, SwitchBuddy was updated on October 13, 2026 and Shugyo8 on September 30, 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.*