Comparison

Side Out vs Pickleball Scoring Buddy

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

Pickleball Scoring Buddy

Features
Read full description

The Apple Watch scorekeeper for doubles pickleball — two taps to start, one tap per rally, and the correct call spoken at your wrist before every serve. NEVER LOSE THE SCORE AGAIN Score, server number, and serve rotation tracked under real doubles rules, including the first-serve exception. Play to 11, 15, or 21, win by 1 or 2 — your rules persist between games. NOTHING TO SET UP No names, no phone, no account. Tap where you're standing, tap who serves first, play. BUILT FOR REAL PLAY Big tap targets built for sweat. No Digital Crown input. Undo restores everything — score, server, positions — from any screen, including game over. A workout session keeps the app frontmost for the whole game, and the always-on display shows the current call. ONE TAP PER RALLY Tap the half of the screen for the rally winner. The watch confirms with a haptic and speaks the next call. That's the entire job. No ads, no analytics, no data collected. Free.

Screenshots

Side Out4 screens

Verdict

The call

Side Out and Pickleball Scoring Buddy are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Side Out ships an update fortnightly, Pickleball Scoring Buddy every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Side Out versus Pickleball Scoring Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSide OutPickleball Scoring Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (91 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings91 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer205L StudioLloyd Financial Consulting LLC

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

Pickleball Scoring Buddy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Side Out

No in-app purchases

None

Pickleball Scoring Buddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Side Out free?
Side Out is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pickleball Scoring Buddy free?
Pickleball Scoring Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Side Out or Pickleball Scoring Buddy have ads?
Neither Side Out nor Pickleball Scoring Buddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Side Out or Pickleball Scoring Buddy?
Side Out ships an update fortnightly, and Pickleball Scoring Buddy every 4 weeks. Most recently, Side Out was updated on November 7, 2026 and Pickleball Scoring Buddy on October 31, 2026.

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