# Garmin Catalyst™ vs PB Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PB Buddy at 100% against Garmin Catalyst™'s 80%. PB Buddy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Garmin Catalyst™'s advantage is ratings volume (120 vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PB Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Catalyst™ has 120 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Garmin Catalyst™'s written reviews are positive against 100% of PB Buddy's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Garmin Catalyst™ | PB Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-catalyst/id1603280610/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pb-buddy/id6746529126/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **120** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 220 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.5 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) | [Timur Iskhodzhanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817334532) |

## What reviewers say

### Garmin Catalyst™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-catalyst/id1603280610)

Access and analyze your motorsports performance data on your smartphone. Review lap times, session summaries, and driver profiles. Track annual driving activity and session weather conditions.

**Highlights:** Access performance data, View lap times, Session summaries, Customizable driver profiles, Track annual activity, Record weather conditions

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Great performance data
- 💡 Actionable driving insights
- 👍 Simple setup
- 👍 Great for track drivers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches when logging in
- 🐛 App just glitches
- 🐛 Loading is soooo slow
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Comparing to friends frequently fails

**Reported bugs**

- Everytime you try logging in the app just glitches anyways can’t even get logged in.
- Comparing to others frequently fails
- Compare to friend feature way to frequently fails with the message about the tracks not matching well enough despite being the same track on the same days even.
- New version is off
- It won’t let me compare the laps with other friends on the same day. Says lap not similar. Literally same day same track same session.

**Requested features**

- Option to select 1-5 laps for optimum view
- Watch reference videos side by side on the Catalyst
- Add video review on phone or iPad
- Allow moving videos to iCloud for review
- Ability to download in-car camera footage directly from device to app


### PB Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pb-buddy/id6746529126)

This lap timer app is designed for HPDE and time trials, offering a simple interface for drivers of all levels. It provides instant feedback on lap and sector times, helping users improve their performance on the track. Users can also export their session data for further analysis.

**Highlights:** Easy setup and use, Instant lap and sector feedback, Big, bright visual elements, Data export (CSV and developer-friendly), Supports US race tracks, Works with built-in and external GPS

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Garmin Catalyst™ free?

Garmin Catalyst™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PB Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Garmin Catalyst™ or PB Buddy?

PB Buddy is rated higher. Garmin Catalyst™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while PB Buddy averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Garmin Catalyst™ or PB Buddy have ads?

Neither Garmin Catalyst™ nor PB Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Garmin Catalyst™ or PB Buddy?

Garmin Catalyst™ ships an update monthly, and PB Buddy monthly. Most recently, Garmin Catalyst™ was updated on October 21, 2026 and PB Buddy on October 15, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*