Comparison

Side Out vs RacketBuddies

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

RacketBuddies

Effortlessly organize racket sports games like tennis, pickleball, padel, and squash. Create matches, invite friends, and manage rosters with real-time updates and an automatic waitlist. Find courts and check weather forecasts for outdoor play.

Highlights
  • Create matches quickly
  • Invite friends via text/email
  • Real-time player roster
  • Automatic waitlist management
  • Find and save courts
  • Weather forecast integration
Features
Read full description

Whether it's tennis, pickleball, padel, or squash, RacketBuddies takes the back-and-forth out of getting a game together. Create a match, invite your regular crew, and see at a glance who's in, who's out, and who's on the waitlist. WHY PLAYERS LOVE IT • Set up a game in seconds — pick a court, a time, and your players • Invite friends by text or email; they tap one link and they're in • Real-time roster so you always know if you have a full court • Automatic waitlist — when someone drops, the next player is up • Find courts near you and save your favorite spots • Built-in weather forecast with a rain-risk read for outdoor courts • Organize by group or club so your regular games stay together FOR CLUBS & ORGANIZERS • Keep your members and recurring games in one place • Manage courts, rosters, and sign-ups without spreadsheets or group texts No more "who's playing this week?" group chats. Just set the game, invite your buddies, and play. Download RacketBuddies and get your next match on the calendar.

Screenshots

Side Out4 screens
RacketBuddies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RacketBuddies at 5.0 against Side Out's 4.5. RacketBuddies also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Side Out's advantage is ratings volume (88 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

RacketBuddies 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Side Out ships an update fortnightly, RacketBuddies every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Side Out versus RacketBuddies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSide OutRacketBuddies
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (88 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings88 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer205L StudioCaribou LLC

Customer experience

Side Out

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

RacketBuddies

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

RacketBuddies

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Side Out

No in-app purchases

None

RacketBuddies

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Side Out free?
Side Out is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RacketBuddies free?
RacketBuddies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Side Out or RacketBuddies?
RacketBuddies is rated higher. Side Out averages 4.5 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while RacketBuddies averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Side Out or RacketBuddies have ads?
Neither Side Out nor RacketBuddies shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Side Out or RacketBuddies?
Side Out ships an update fortnightly, and RacketBuddies every 3 days. Most recently, Side Out was updated on October 21, 2026 and RacketBuddies on October 22, 2026.

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