# Hoops Lab vs Play Designer

Hoops Lab and Play Designer both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of Play Designer's written reviews are positive against 33% of Hoops Lab's. Play Designer also leads on ratings volume (736 vs 13). Hoops Lab's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.5). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Play Designer sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $7.00 per 7 days. Hoops Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Hoops Lab against 4.6 for Play Designer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play Designer has 736 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Hoops Lab's written reviews are positive against 93% of Play Designer's.

Hoops Lab ships an update weekly, Play Designer every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hoops Lab | Play Designer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoops-lab/id1576985969/reviews) | **[4.6 (736 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-designer-elite-hoops/id6443711183/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **736** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **92.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 193 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Labrador Sports](https://appshunter.io/developer/1545423866) | [Day Well Spent LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633532884) |

## What reviewers say

### Hoops Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoops-lab/id1576985969)

This sports team management app streamlines practice preparation and administrative tasks for coaches. It offers tools for designing plays, communicating with the team, managing schedules, and organizing rosters, allowing more time for actual practice.

**Highlights:** Play designer, Message board, Team schedule, Roster management, Practice preparation tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Play Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-designer-elite-hoops/id6443711183)

This app helps basketball coaches create, share, and explain plays, practices, and drills. It features a customizable digital whiteboard, video recording, and shot charting tools to enhance team communication and training.

**Highlights:** Record and share play and drill videos, Create and manage custom practices, Access and build a drill library, Professional-grade shot charting, Customizable digital whiteboard with court dimensions, Team roster and lineup management, AirPlay support for team presentations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Tournament Pass | $7.00 | per 7 days |
| Tournament Pass | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $9.99 | per month |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $10.00 | per 7 days |
| Elite Hoops Pro Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $12.99 | per month |
| Elite Hoops Pro Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Elite Hoops Pro Quarterly | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Season Pass | $25.00 | per 3 months |
| Unlimited access | $39.99 | per year |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $45.00 | per year |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| Elite Hoops Pro | $65.00 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful features for coaches
- 🚀 Helps plan practices efficiently
- 💡 Innovative whiteboard and recording functionality
- 👍 Easy to use and share plays
- 👍 Developer is responsive and helpful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with latest iOS
- 💰 Paid subscription required for full functionality
- 🔒 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- Recording issues with no sound and inability to close/discard videos
- Crashes and freezes on some devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to design and animate plays
- More advanced player movement and positioning features
- Free recording and playback functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hoops Lab free?

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

### Is Play Designer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hoops Lab or Play Designer?

Play Designer is rated higher. Hoops Lab averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Play Designer averages 4.6 from 736 ratings.

### Do Hoops Lab or Play Designer have ads?

Neither Hoops Lab nor Play Designer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hoops Lab or Play Designer?

Hoops Lab ships an update weekly, and Play Designer every 10 days. Most recently, Hoops Lab was updated on September 20, 2026 and Play Designer on September 24, 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.*