# SideCast vs Big Text Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Big Text Buddy at none against SideCast's 2. Big Text Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown). SideCast's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | SideCast | Big Text Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidecast/id608426917/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **208** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 156 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alerion Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674500626) | [Asterios Digital GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815221142) |

## What reviewers say

### SideCast

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

Easily enlarge typed messages on your device screen for clear, silent communication from a distance. Use text or emojis to convey your message, then rotate your device to share it with anyone nearby. Perfect for loud environments or private conversations.

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

**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)


### Big Text Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-text-buddy/id6761932417)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideCast free?

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

### Is Big Text Buddy free?

Big Text Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SideCast or Big Text Buddy have ads?

SideCast shows ads; Big Text Buddy does not.

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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.*