# SideCast vs Desaru Coast

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Desaru Coast at none against SideCast's 2. Desaru Coast also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). SideCast's advantage is ratings volume (209 vs 1). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SideCast sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Desaru Coast asks for nothing beyond the download.

Desaru Coast holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SideCast has 209 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

SideCast ships an update every 3 months, Desaru Coast every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideCast | Desaru Coast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (209 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidecast/id608426917/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desaru-coast/id6657970025/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **209** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 152 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Alerion Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674500626) | [Integrated Synergy System](https://appshunter.io/developer/950560029) |

## What reviewers say

### SideCast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidecast/id608426917)

Enlarge typed messages on your device screen for easy, silent, or distant communication. Simply type your message or use voice-to-text, then rotate your device to display it clearly to others nearby. Ideal for loud environments, private conversations, or when speaking is not an option.

**Highlights:** Create instant signs and billboards, Enlarge typed messages, Use text or emojis, Rotate device to display, Voice-to-text support, Silent and private communication

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SideCast upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and effective communication
- 💡 Useful for various noisy environments
- 🚀 Fast and snappier UX (recent updates)
- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 💡 Great for communicating when unable to speak

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes too often
- 🐛 Does not rotate reliably
- 🐛 Pages run into each other
- 🐛 Timed out forcing upgrade
- 🐛 Not compatible with older iOS versions (historically)

**Reported bugs**

- Freezes too often
- Side cast does not rotate more often than not
- When it does rotate, the pages run into each other
- Doesn’t work with iOS 16 (prior to recent update)
- Timed out - forced to upgrade (specific instance)

**Requested features**

- Allow selection of text and background colors
- Remove time limit (mentioned once)


### Desaru Coast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desaru-coast/id6657970025)

This festival companion app helps you navigate and plan your experience at the Ombak Festival. Discover the full schedule, create a personalized itinerary, and receive real-time updates to ensure you don't miss any performances or activities. Explore the festival grounds with an interactive map and participate in challenges for rewards.

**Highlights:** Festival schedule access, Personalized planner, Real-time updates, Interactive festival map, Artist and activity details, Reward challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideCast free?

SideCast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Desaru Coast free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SideCast or Desaru Coast?

Desaru Coast is rated higher. SideCast averages 4.6 out of 5 from 209 ratings, while Desaru Coast averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do SideCast or Desaru Coast have ads?

Neither SideCast nor Desaru Coast shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SideCast or Desaru Coast?

SideCast ships an update every 3 months, and Desaru Coast every 5 days. Most recently, SideCast was updated on November 6, 2026 and Desaru Coast on October 30, 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.*