# Shady Side vs BGXCommander

The clearest difference is rating: BGXCommander at 5.0 against Shady Side's 3.1. BGXCommander also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). Shady Side's advantage is ratings volume (8 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.

BGXCommander holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shady Side has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Shady Side ships an update every 7 months, BGXCommander every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shady Side | BGXCommander |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shady-side/id553494909/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bgxcommander/id1350920514/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 94 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shady Side Academy](https://appshunter.io/developer/702987379) | [Silicon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/555074469) |

## What reviewers say

### Shady Side

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shady-side/id553494909)

Access school directories, news, and calendars on the go. This app provides quick access to important information for students, faculty, and parents, including contact details and event schedules.

**Highlights:** School news updates, Event calendar with filters, Faculty and student directory, Contact information access, Athletic schedules and scores, Quick access to school links

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### BGXCommander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bgxcommander/id1350920514)

This application facilitates communication with Silicon Labs BGX modules via Bluetooth Low Energy. It allows users to scan, connect, send and receive data, and execute commands remotely. An interactive tutorial guides users through the mobile Xpress library features.

**Highlights:** Connect to BGX modules, Send and receive ASCII data, Execute remote commands, Interactive tutorial, Over-the-air updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shady Side free?

Shady Side is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BGXCommander free?

BGXCommander is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shady Side or BGXCommander?

BGXCommander is rated higher. Shady Side averages 3.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while BGXCommander averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Shady Side or BGXCommander have ads?

Neither Shady Side nor BGXCommander shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shady Side or BGXCommander?

Shady Side ships an update every 7 months, and BGXCommander every 2 months. Most recently, Shady Side was updated on November 1, 2026 and BGXCommander on November 2, 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.*