Comparison

HeyBLU vs Now Batting

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HeyBLU

This app transforms your iPhone into an objective strike zone for youth baseball and softball. It provides live audio calls for balls and strikes, tracks pitch data, and helps develop pitcher command and batter's eye.

Highlights
  • Live audio ball/strike calls
  • Adjustable strike zone
  • Pitch heatmaps and logs
  • Estimated velocity tracking
  • Command effectiveness rating
  • Pitcher performance tracking
  • Batter's eye development tool
Read full description

HeyBLU is a live, objective strike zone for youth baseball and fastpitch softball. Mount your phone, set the zone, and hear live “BALL” or “STRIKE” the moment the pitch crosses the plate. Make your next bullpen count with BLU/Big League Umpire. No radar gun. No sensors in balls. No cell service or Wi‑Fi required. Built for any outdoor field including your backyard. AFFORDABLE PRECISION TECH Train command with your bullpen umpire what it costs to hire one umpire, or one pitching lesson. Bucket Dads, Diamond Moms, Pitching Coaches and teams, track your progress with heatmap reports after every bullpen. ESTABLISH COMMAND Size the strike zone, hit your target, hear instant BALL or STRIKE through your iPhone, or connect a Bluetooth speaker, or earbuds. Train to Your Zone: HeyBLU's zone is adjustable to make it more or less challenging to get strikes, or to match the zone you expect on game day. Every Pitch Tells a Story: Heatmaps in both 2D and 3D Replays, just like the Pors. Every pitch logs plate-crossing location, pitch count, and estimated velocity. NEW IN THIS VERSION • Share reports straight to Instagram. • Sharper fastpitch softball calls. • Spreadsheet data now in feet and inches. Keep the suggestions coming — HeyBLU gets better with every bullpen SELECT YOUR SPORT: Baseball & plus 11-inch or 12-inch softball tracking. Follow Live: With a 2nd iPhone or iPad fans can follow along. COMMAND TRAINING TOOL With a 2nd iPhone or iPad coaches or player can pick the intended location before the pitch. HeyBLU compares result to target and builds a sharable command rating report. Earn Your Innings: Save and compare pitcher performance over time to see who hits their spots. Solo Bullpens: Get instant audio feedback while throwing alone. Batter’s Eye: Give hitters a consistent zone so plate discipline isn’t “close enough.” Umpire Training: An objective reference for aspiring umpires — we empower umpires; we don’t replace them. START YOUR 14-DAY FREE TRIAL. Not at the field yet? Download, select a reminder, and your trial doesn't begin until you're ready. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://www.heyblu.ai/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.heyblu.ai/terms

About

Now Batting

Elevate your game day with custom walk-up songs, announcer intros, and team hype tracks. This app allows you to create original music for players or use existing tracks from Apple Music, ensuring every player has a memorable entrance. Manage multiple teams and enjoy offline playback for seamless event management.

Highlights
  • Custom walk-up songs from Apple Music
  • Original composed walk-up songs
  • Customizable announcer intros
  • Team hype song creation
  • Full lineup announcements (Roll Call)
  • Pitching change entrances (Bullpen)
  • Live game score updates
Features
Read full description

The walk-up song app that brings the hype without the headache. You showed up with the speaker. You're the Chief Hype Officer — and this is built for you. HOW GAME DAY GOES Pick the song. Set the second it kicks in. Tap once — the song hits, your announcer calls them by name and number, and you never get out of your chair. Snap a photo of the lineup card and Magic Lineup sets your batting order. Setup is a text message: send one link, let parents fill in their own player. See what we mean? WHAT YOU GET • Drop any Apple Music song exactly where you want it — plus 13 ready-made playlists. • Six announcer voices. Tap for a ready-made call, write the script yourself, or record your own. • Original songs with a player's name in the lyrics — one for the team too. Pitchers get their own entrance. • Roll Call — your whole order announced pregame, by name and position, while the bleachers rise. • The Hype Deck — 50 curated songs and sounds for every moment of the game. One tap each. • Live Score Call — "Top of the third, Dragons two, Eagles one." • Name Lock — fix a tricky name once, and it's said that way every time. FIELD READY Tap Field Ready to make sure every walk-up and every sound fires the instant you tap — no Internet required. An Apple Music subscription is required for streamed songs. SUBSCRIPTIONS Dedicated Chief Hype Officer ($9.99/year) and Headliner Chief Hype Officer ($24.99/year). New subscribers to the Dedicated plan get a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew at the same price unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use: https://nowbattingapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://nowbattingapp.com/privacy

Screenshots

HeyBLU4 screens
Now Batting4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Now Batting at free with in-app purchases against HeyBLU's subscription. Now Batting also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 days) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HeyBLU sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Now Batting sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HeyBLU against 5.0 for Now Batting. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 12 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HeyBLU ships an update every 8 days, Now Batting every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HeyBLU versus Now Batting: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeyBLUNow Batting
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (22 ratings)5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBig League Ballpark, IncAndrew Testa

Customer experience

HeyBLU

All ratings19 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Now Batting

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

HeyBLU

Subscriptions4
  • Pro Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • HeyBLU Pro Monthly14 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Pro Annual14 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • HeyBLU Pro14 Days trial$79.991 Year
2 purchases

Now Batting

Subscriptions2
  • Dedicated Chief Hype Officer7 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Headliner Chief Hype Officer$24.991 Year

Questions

Is HeyBLU free?
HeyBLU is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Now Batting free?
Now Batting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HeyBLU or Now Batting?
Now Batting is rated higher. HeyBLU averages 5.0 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Now Batting averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.
Do HeyBLU or Now Batting have ads?
Neither HeyBLU nor Now Batting shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HeyBLU or Now Batting?
HeyBLU ships an update every 8 days, and Now Batting every 3 days. Most recently, HeyBLU was updated on November 4, 2026 and Now Batting on October 31, 2026.

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