Comparison

Side Out vs X Challenge

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

X Challenge

Turn your walks, runs, and cycles into achievements. Conquer fitness goals anywhere, anytime, and earn a physical medal mailed to your door. Track your progress with detailed stats and collect themed medals inspired by global legends.

Highlights
  • Virtual fitness challenges
  • Earn physical medals
  • Multi-sport tracking (walk, run, cycle)
  • GPS route mapping
  • Progress tracking dashboard
  • Themed medal collections
  • Syncs with Apple Health
Features
Read full description

Welcome to X Challenge: Virtual Runs. Turn every drop of sweat into a rewarding achievement. Whether you walk, run, or cycle, we are here to keep you motivated. Can't join physical events? No problem. X Challenge lets you conquer fitness goals anywhere, anytime, at your own pace. Pick a distance, move on your own schedule, and earn a hand-finished medal inspired by legends from around the world. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose a challenge - from 5K to a full marathon, or a themed collection. 2. Move at your own pace. Walk, jog, run, or cycle, indoors or outdoors, over days or weeks. 3. Complete the distance in time and we mail your physical finisher medal to your door. TRACK EVERY ACTIVITY - Multi-sport tracking: walking, jogging, running, and cycling. - Live GPS route on a map, with standard, satellite, and terrain views. - Real-time distance, duration, current and average pace, and speed. - Split times for every kilometer or mile, plus an elevation profile. - Auto-pause when you stop and auto-resume when you move again. - Voice cues that call out your distance and pace so you can keep your phone in your pocket. - Reliable background tracking. Lock your screen, listen to music, and your activity keeps recording. SEE YOUR PROGRESS - A home dashboard with today's distance, duration, and activity streak. - Weekly and monthly summaries with an activity calendar. - A detailed breakdown of every session: map, key stats, splits, and elevation. - Clear progress on each active challenge, with the distance and days you have left. - Your full activity history, saved in one place. - Choose miles or kilometers to match how you train. COLLECT LEGENDS - Legends of Asgard: Thor, Odin, and Loki. - The Four Holy Beasts: Dragon, Kylin, Turtle, and Phoenix. - Each collection has its own artwork, story, and themed presentation box. - A trophy room where every medal you have earned comes to life in full color. EARN A REAL MEDAL Finish the distance within the time frame and we ship a physical, hand-finished medal to your mailing address. Follow your shipment status inside the app and get a notification the moment it is on its way. BUILT FOR YOUR DEVICE - Syncs your activities to Apple Health so all your fitness data stays in one place. - Reminders that help you stay on track without flooding your notifications. - You control your data: manage permissions, review your activity, and delete your account at any time from Settings. EVERY FEATURE IN THE APP IS FREE Creating an account, browsing challenges, tracking your activities, viewing your maps and stats, and building your collection cost nothing. The only item we offer is the physical medal, a real object we manufacture and mail to you. PERMISSIONS - Location: used to record your route and measure distance while an activity is running, including in the background so your session is not lost when the screen locks. Continued use of GPS in the background can decrease battery life. - Motion & Fitness: used to count steps and detect activity indoors. - Health: used to save your completed activities to Apple Health. - Notifications: used for progress updates, reminders, and shipment status. Questions or feedback? We read every message. Support: https://xchallenge.us/pages/contact Privacy Policy: https://xchallenge.us/pages/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://xchallenge.us/pages/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Side Out4 screens
X Challenge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: X Challenge at 5.0 against Side Out's 4.5. X Challenge also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Side Out's advantage is ratings volume (91 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

X Challenge holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Side Out has 91 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Side Out's written reviews are positive against 100% of X Challenge's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Side Out ships an update fortnightly, X Challenge every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Side Out versus X Challenge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSide OutX Challenge
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (91 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings91 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB33 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developer205L StudioELITE GROUP SPORTS AND SERVICES LLC

Customer experience

Side Out

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

X Challenge

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
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

X Challenge

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Side Out

No in-app purchases

None

X Challenge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Side Out free?
Side Out is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is X Challenge free?
X Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Side Out or X Challenge?
X Challenge is rated higher. Side Out averages 4.5 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while X Challenge averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Side Out or X Challenge have ads?
Neither Side Out nor X Challenge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Side Out or X Challenge?
Side Out ships an update fortnightly, and X Challenge every 5 days. Most recently, Side Out was updated on November 7, 2026 and X Challenge on November 5, 2026.

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