Comparison

PlayMaker Baseball vs Optimal 9

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

Head to head
About

PlayMaker Baseball

Effortlessly score baseball games, track player statistics, and stream live updates for coaches and parents. This intuitive app simplifies scorekeeping with a clean interface and automatically calculates advanced stats, making it ideal for all levels of play.

Highlights
  • Intuitive digital scorekeeping
  • Live game streaming for fans
  • Automatic stat calculation
  • Pitch metrics tracking
  • Lineup scanning and sharing
  • Support for all age levels
Features
Read full description

The easiest way to score baseball games, track stats, and stream live — built for coaches, parents, and scorekeepers who want power without the complexity. PlayMaker replaces your paper scorebook with an intuitive digital experience that anyone can pick up in minutes. No complicated menus, no learning curve, no clutter — just tap and score. SCOREKEEPING MADE SIMPLE Score games with a clean, intuitive interface designed for real game speed. Whether you're a first-time scorekeeper or a seasoned coach, PlayMaker keeps up with every play without slowing you down. LIVE STREAMING Broadcast your game in real time so family and fans who can't make it to the field never miss a moment. Live scoreboard overlay keeps viewers in the game from anywhere. AUTOMATIC STATS & ADVANCED PITCH METRICS Season batting averages, player performance, and detailed pitch metrics — all calculated automatically as you score. No spreadsheets, no manual entry. Just finish the game and the numbers are ready. SCAN YOUR LINEUP Skip the manual entry. Snap a photo of your lineup card and PlayMaker reads it for you. Get your lineup set and shared with your team before the first pitch LIVE SCOREBOARD FOR FANS Share a real-time scoreboard with parents and fans who can't make it to the field. Everyone stays connected to the game, no matter where they are. SET & SHARE LINEUPS INSTANTLY Build your lineup and share it with your team before the first pitch. No more confusion at the field. BUILT FOR EVERY LEVEL From tee ball to travel ball to high school — PlayMaker works for teams at any age and any level of play. Whether you're keeping score for your kid's Little League game or tracking stats for a competitive travel team, PlayMaker gives you everything you need and nothing you don't. Every play matters. Questions? Reach out anytime at help@playmakerapp.io Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Optimal 9

This app simulates baseball batting orders using real player statistics from recent seasons. It allows users to test different lineup configurations to maximize run scoring potential over a series of games. Analyze performance based on actual data and roster information.

Highlights
  • Batting order optimization
  • Real statistical performance analysis
  • 2022-2023 season data
  • Roster integration
  • Multi-game simulation
Features
Read full description

Optimize the batting order for a baseball team using real statistical performance. This is a way to test your theories about which batter should hit in each position for maximum run scoring in a game. The simulator uses actual 2022 and 2023 statistics and rosters and allows you to choose any batting order over a large series of games to analyze the performance.

Screenshots

PlayMaker Baseball4 screens
Optimal 94 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PlayMaker Baseball at 58% against Optimal 9's 0%. PlayMaker Baseball also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.0) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 months). Optimal 9's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads and device support 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. PlayMaker Baseball sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Optimal 9 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PlayMaker Baseball holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PlayMaker Baseball has 191 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of PlayMaker Baseball's written reviews are positive against 0% of Optimal 9's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlayMaker Baseball ships an update every 5 days, Optimal 9 every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
PlayMaker Baseball versus Optimal 9: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlayMaker BaseballOptimal 9
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (191 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings191 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.3 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPrepBaseballRankingsStuart Zussman

Customer experience

PlayMaker Baseball

All ratings191 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative33.3%

Optimal 9

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

PlayMaker Baseball

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Only allowed to record a strike swinging in demo
  • Rest of demo features ask who is batting
  • Cannot add a team
  • Cannot correct lineup without deleting game
  • App records an error on player every time a put out is recorded
Show 7 more
  • App crashing
  • Fielder’s choice bug removes multiple runners
  • Cannot delete anything if a mistake is made
  • Cannot rearrange batting order
  • Numbers entered incorrectly and cannot be changed
  • Only allows adjustment for last 5-6 players
  • Starts over after 9 batters even with more players

Requested features

8 requests
  • More features needed
  • Track pitches
  • Add another outfielder for 8u softball
  • Photo option for rosters
  • Ability to delete teams
Show 3 more
  • Ability to make created teams play each other
  • Correct lineup issues
  • Advance inning with run limit in little league

Optimal 9

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PlayMaker Baseball

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium - Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • '22 Spring Kickoff$10.99
None

Optimal 9

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlayMaker Baseball free?
PlayMaker Baseball is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Optimal 9 free?
Optimal 9 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PlayMaker Baseball or Optimal 9?
PlayMaker Baseball is rated higher. PlayMaker Baseball averages 4.5 out of 5 from 191 ratings, while Optimal 9 averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PlayMaker Baseball or Optimal 9 have ads?
Neither PlayMaker Baseball nor Optimal 9 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlayMaker Baseball or Optimal 9?
PlayMaker Baseball ships an update every 5 days, and Optimal 9 every 10 months. Most recently, PlayMaker Baseball was updated on November 3, 2026 and Optimal 9 on November 4, 2026.

Other comparisons