# Side Out vs RacketBuddies

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Side Out | RacketBuddies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-out-pickleball/id1671243214/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/racketbuddies/id6776818444/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **88** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [205L Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/453170205) | [Caribou LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895361999) |

## What reviewers say

### Side Out

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-out-pickleball/id1671243214)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fluid app performance
- 💡 Fully customizable rules
- 👍 Uncomplicated and works
- 👍 Syncs to watch

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not intuitive swipes
- 🐛 Watch crown rotation issues
- 🐛 Player name input greyed out
- 🐛 App closes randomly on watch
- 🐛 Workout app integration clunky

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Tennis app or section
- Set up on phone, control on watch
- In-game timer
- Disable Watch crown rotation
- Microphone control for player names


### RacketBuddies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/racketbuddies/id6776818444)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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