MiniVAN Touch vs PDI Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MiniVAN Touch
This app digitizes political canvassing by allowing users to collect data directly on their mobile devices. It syncs with NGP VAN, streamlining the process of uploading and integrating canvass results into databases.
- Mobile data collection
- NGP VAN integration
- Offline data entry
- Real-time data upload
- Streamlined data management
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miniVAN Touch is a mobile canvassing application that integrates with websites provided by NGP VAN. The miniVAN system allows users to export canvassing lists from VAN onto an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Canvassers can then enter data into their device as they talk to people on their list. When the canvassers connect their device to the Internet over a wireless or cellular network, they can upload their data back to the VAN with the touch of a button. Administrative users on the VAN can then review the data and apply it to the database in one quick step. Canvassing with miniVAN allows NGP VAN clients to spend more time and resources on actually contacting people instead of on data entry. What’s more, it virtually eliminates the lag time between collecting canvass results and putting that data to work.
PDI Mobile
This business application enhances functionality for canvassing projects. It offers seamless integration with existing workflows, improving efficiency for users involved in political data collection and management.
- Enhanced canvassing functionality
- Seamless integration
- Improved workflow efficiency
- Data management tools
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The new PDI Mobile App is an app with enhanced functionality that can be used seamlessly with existing canvassing projects.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PDI Mobile at weekly against MiniVAN Touch's every 2 months. PDI Mobile also leads on rating (3.5 vs 3.3) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). MiniVAN Touch's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 0%) and ratings volume (276 vs 10). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PDI Mobile holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MiniVAN Touch has 276 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of MiniVAN Touch's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDI Mobile's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
MiniVAN Touch ships an update every 2 months, PDI Mobile weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MiniVAN Touch | PDI Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (276 ratings) | 3.5 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 276 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #185 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | NGP VAN | Political Data Inc. |
Customer experience
MiniVAN Touch
PDI Mobile
Bugs and requests
MiniVAN Touch
Reported bugs
19 issues- App crashes when downloading lists
- Login loops and authentication failures
- Two-factor authentication stuck or unresetable
- Data disappears after switching lists
- Synced data not visible the next day
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- App resets to top of list when screen locks
- Map zooms out unexpectedly when panning
- Inconsistent swipe gestures for marking status
- App freezes during extended use
- Password reset emails not arriving
- Training video stuck with no exit option
- Filters not functioning properly
- App incompatible with some older devices
- Turf sending only works for one campaign despite selection
- Data loss on Android devices
- Keyboard not accessible on iPad for authentication
- Sync button accidentally triggered during canvassing
- Randomly logs out without syncing data
- Cannot edit notes while person marked 'Not Home'
Requested features
18 requests- Ability to load and switch between multiple lists simultaneously
- Geographic sorting instead of alphabetical ordering
- Automatic route optimization that persists
- Bulk marking of inaccessible addresses
- Integrated navigation/directions from map
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- Progress indicators and motivational messages
- Spanish language version
- Ability to see all household members at once
- Settings to disable repeated training prompts
- Toggle between different canvass campaigns
- Mock/training lists for practice
- Customizable symbology and icons
- Filter by party affiliation and voter status
- Phonebanking integration
- Bulk operations for household management
- Dark mode toggle option
- Persistent app state in background
- Shared notes visible to all canvassers
PDI Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
MiniVAN Touch
No in-app purchases
PDI Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MiniVAN Touch free?
Is PDI Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, MiniVAN Touch or PDI Mobile?
Do MiniVAN Touch or PDI Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, MiniVAN Touch or PDI Mobile?
Other comparisons
