Comparison

Side Out vs PickleMate

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

Head to head
About

Side Out

Effortlessly track pickleball scores directly from your Apple Watch with intuitive swipe gestures. This app manages serving order, player positions, and game statistics, allowing you to focus on playing. An optional companion scoreboard can be used on your iPhone or iPad for spectators.

Highlights
  • Hands-free Apple Watch scoring
  • Automatic serving order tracking
  • Companion iPhone/iPad scoreboard
  • Multiple game and scoring formats
  • Player profiles and performance tracking
  • Match history and stats
  • HealthKit integration
Features
Read full description

Track Pickleball scores hands-free on your Apple Watch. Simple swipes keep score while you play—no phone fumbling. See scores, serving order, and player positions at a glance. PERFECT FOR APPLE WATCH • Swipe up/down to score points—keep your phone in your bag • Automatic serving order tracking (no mental math!) • Green indicator shows current server and service box (1 or 2) • Undo/redo with simple swipes—fix mistakes instantly • Works independently on Watch—no iPhone needed during play SMART SCORING FEATURES • Doubles & Singles support • Multiple games per match tracking • Customizable winning score (with win-by-2 rule) • Auto-save & crash recovery—never lose your game • Player profiles to track performance over time • Side-out, Rally, and Simple scoring formats COMPANION SCOREBOARD • Use your iPhone/iPad as a live scoreboard for spectators • Voice announcements in proper Pickleball format (4-2-1) • Perfect for tournaments and casual play • Share scores with nearby players via Bluetooth MATCH HISTORY & STATS • Review past games and performance • Track wins/losses against opponents • iCloud sync across all your devices • HealthKit integration logs workouts automatically Whether you're playing casual rec games or competitive tournaments, Side Out makes scorekeeping effortless so you can focus on your game.

About

PickleMate

This app simplifies pickleball scorekeeping with voice commands and automatic announcements. It can announce the score aloud and indicate who serves next, keeping games flowing smoothly. An optional upgrade unlocks advanced features like Apple Watch integration and player stat tracking.

Highlights
  • Automatic scorekeeping
  • Voice command control
  • Audio score announcements
  • Next server indication
  • Bluetooth speaker support
  • Apple Watch app (Pro)
  • Player stat tracking (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Never lose track of the score again — now FREE to download! Just tap Point or Fault — on your iPhone or with a simple voice command. PickleMate handles everything else automatically: it announces the score out loud, tells you who serves next, and keeps the game moving. Connect a Bluetooth speaker and the whole court hears it. UPGRADE TO PICKLEMATE PRO Unlock the full experience with a one-time purchase: • Apple Watch app — score games right from your wrist • Leaderboard — track and compare player stats • Game delete/restore — manage your game history Free features include full scorekeeping, voice announcements, Bluetooth speaker support, and more.

Screenshots

Side Out4 screens
PickleMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Side Out at none against PickleMate's 1. Side Out also leads on ratings volume (88 vs 4). PickleMate's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. PickleMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Side Out asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PickleMate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Side Out has 88 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Side Out ships an update fortnightly, PickleMate weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Side Out versus PickleMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSide OutPickleMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (88 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings88 — better4
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer205L StudioFIDVI SHAJI SHEREEF

Customer experience

Side Out

All ratings82 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral7.3%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.6%

PickleMate

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Side Out

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • App on watch randomly closes and deletes match
  • Server switching courts not working
  • Undo is sometimes buggy
  • Display hangs occasionally
  • Not properly syncing app data from iPhone to watch
Show 8 more
  • Unable to begin a game on iPhone app
  • Unable to edit player data on iPhone app
  • Paid app froze and won't reinstall
  • Purchased app not on phone
  • App freezes during use
  • Accidentally awarding final point goes to 'Finish' screen
  • SE watch doesn't wake right away
  • Creating multiple Apple workouts when changing teams

Requested features

38 requests
  • Tennis app or section
  • Set up on phone, control on watch
  • In-game timer
  • Disable Watch crown rotation
  • Microphone control for player names
Show 33 more
  • Long press to replace names
  • Default setup option
  • Win/loss summary for all players
  • Change background color (black/white)
  • Use app with workout app for display priority
  • Save matches by sessions
  • Flip player view
  • Rally score option with 2 services
  • Archive feature
  • Stats against added players
  • Landscape mode for players
  • Add 'Myself' to either team
  • Exit and save option
  • Share scoreboard to another iPad
  • Games won under each player
  • Heart rate on Apple Watch version
  • Donation option
  • Play again with same team members
  • Disable crown for scoring
  • Error override feature
  • Delete players
  • Sync code for other players' watches
  • Quick start with option to add myself
  • Add players after QuickStart
  • Coin toss option
  • Time out option with timer
  • Save data to cloud and export
  • Track player errors
  • Track skinny/regular singles games
  • Program team side switching frequency
  • Summarize games played or export data
  • Confirmation or undo at end of game
  • Consolidate multiple Apple workouts

PickleMate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Side Out

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

PickleMate

One-time1
  • PickleMate Pro Support$1.99

Questions

Is Side Out free?
Side Out is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PickleMate free?
PickleMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Side Out or PickleMate?
PickleMate is rated higher. Side Out averages 4.5 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while PickleMate averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Side Out or PickleMate have ads?
Neither Side Out nor PickleMate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Side Out or PickleMate?
Side Out ships an update fortnightly, and PickleMate weekly. Most recently, Side Out was updated on October 21, 2026 and PickleMate on October 10, 2026.

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