Comparison

Bitball Baseball vs Backyard Soccer '98

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

Head to head
About

Bitball Baseball

Build a baseball dynasty by managing your squad, progressing players, and signing free agents. Improve your stadium and facilities to boost morale and set prices to satisfy fans and owners. Enjoy fast-paced gameplay with quick games to lead your team to victory.

Highlights
  • Roster management (rotation, bullpen, lineup)
  • Player progression with XP or currency
  • Free agent signings and player re-signing
  • Stadium and facility improvements
  • Fast-paced gameplay (5-10 minute games)
  • Custom team editor (premium feature)
Features
Read full description

Do you have what it takes to build your franchise into a baseball dynasty? Manage your squad, progress players, sign free agents, and slug it out against the Bitball League's best. Roster Management: - Rotation, Bullpen, and Lineup management - Trades - Off-season draft - Sign Free Agents - Re-sign players - Progress players with XP earned, or with in-game currency - Edit player name and appearance (feature available with purchase of premium version of game). Franchise Management - Improve Stadium and team facilities to improve player morale - Set ticket and concession prices to make your fans, or owner, happy - Custom Team Editor (feature available with purchase of premium version of game). Gameplay - Fast paced gameplay designed to get through games quickly. Games last on average 5-10 minutes. - Slug it out over a 20 game season in an effort to make the playoffs and go for glory. - Manage your pitcher's stamina carefully to get through each game.

About

Backyard Soccer '98

Relive the fun of youth soccer with this classic 6-on-6 game. Choose from iconic athletes, play on unique fields, and compete in leagues and tournaments with comical power-ups and bloopers. Enjoy instant play or manage your team to championship glory.

Highlights
  • 6-on-6 soccer gameplay
  • Pick-up game and League Play modes
  • 30 iconic kid athletes
  • 20 unique soccer fields
  • Comical power-ups and bloopers
  • Classic commentators
  • Penalty kick practice
Read full description

KICK BACK INTO ACTION Jump back onto the field with the 2nd game from the Backyard Sports Franchise, Backyard Soccer ‘98, now enhanced to run on modern systems. Coach your favorite Backyard athletes to the championship, play a pick-up-game on your favorite field, and listen to classic commentators Sunny Day and Earl Grey. Backyard Soccer ‘98 captures the playful spirit of youth soccer. Play 6-on-6 soccer with point-and-click controls for passing, defending and scoring! Start a pick-up game for instant play or create a coach for League Play. In League Play, select 8 kids of your choice and work your way to the top of each division. If you play well enough to qualify, you’ll compete in the “Astonishingly Shiny Cup of All Cups Tournament” against kids from all over the world! SOCCER FOR EVERYONE Play soccer like you did with friends in your neighborhood! • 30 Iconic Kid Athletes • 20 Unique Soccer Fields • Intense tie-breaking shoot-outs  • Comical Power-ups • Hilarious Bloopers • Lively commentary from Sunny Day and Earl Grey • Multiple Divisions and Tournaments To kick things off, choose a player and face Mr. Clanky for some penalty kick practice. This is where you can practice this crucial game deciding skill. THE LEGEND CONTINUES Backyard Soccer featured arguably the most iconic video game athlete of the 90s or any era - Pablo Sanchez. Play with the legend himself or choose your favorites and relive what made Backyard Soccer 1998 a cult classic.  Game Modes include: • Pick-up Game: Instant play! The computer chooses a random team for you and itself and the game starts immediately. • Friendly Match: Build a roster to play a single game against another computer controlled team in your division. • Spectator: Sit back and watch two teams of Backyard kids face off against each other in what is sure to be an exciting game of soccer. • Penalty Kicks: Practice shooting and defending penalty kicks against Mr. Clanky.  • League Play: Pick your team name, uniform colors, and players to compete in the Backyard Soccer League. Manage the team through a soccer season. The opposing teams are computer generated. If your team is in the top four by mid-season in any division, you’ll score an invite to the Off-The-Wall Indoor Invitational. If you finish a season as a top two team, you’ll move up to a stronger division. After winning the Premier Division, you’ll compete in the Astonishingly Shiny Cup of All Cups Tournament! ADDITIONAL INFORMATION At our core, we are fans first – not just of video games, but of the Backyard Sports franchise. Fans have asked for accessible and legal ways to play their original Backyard titles for years, and we are excited to deliver.

Screenshots

Bitball Baseball4 screens
Backyard Soccer '984 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Backyard Soccer '98 at 4.3 against Bitball Baseball's 3.4. Backyard Soccer '98 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (60% vs 49%). Bitball Baseball's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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. Bitball Baseball sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Backyard Soccer '98 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backyard Soccer '98 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 246 and 123 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Bitball Baseball's written reviews are positive against 60% of Backyard Soccer '98's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bitball Baseball ships an update every 4 days, Backyard Soccer '98 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Bitball Baseball versus Backyard Soccer '98: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBitball BaseballBackyard Soccer '98
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (246 ratings)4.3 (123 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.1% of reviews59.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings246 — better123
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size232 MB461 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMatthew SteillPlayground Productions LLC

Customer experience

Bitball Baseball

All ratings221 ratings
Positive54.8%
Neutral12.2%
Negative33.0%
Written reviews452 reviews
Positive49.1%
Neutral21.7%
Negative29.2%

Backyard Soccer '98

All ratings115 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative13.9%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive59.5%
Neutral9.5%
Negative31.0%

Bugs and requests

Bitball Baseball

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Disappearing baserunners
  • Incorrect team assignments
  • Premium features not unlocking properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add pitching mode
  • Implement a coach mode to watch games
  • Allow more customization options for players
  • Improve save/load functionality
  • Expand season length and playoff options

Backyard Soccer '98

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Bitball Baseball

One-time4
  • 16,384(16K) Bytes$0.99
  • 32,768 (32K) Bytes$1.99
  • Premium$2.99
Show 1 more
  • 65536 Bytes$3.99
None

Backyard Soccer '98

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bitball Baseball free?
Bitball Baseball is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backyard Soccer '98 free?
Backyard Soccer '98 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bitball Baseball or Backyard Soccer '98?
Backyard Soccer '98 is rated higher. Bitball Baseball averages 3.4 out of 5 from 246 ratings, while Backyard Soccer '98 averages 4.3 from 123 ratings.
Do Bitball Baseball or Backyard Soccer '98 have ads?
Neither Bitball Baseball nor Backyard Soccer '98 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bitball Baseball or Backyard Soccer '98?
Bitball Baseball ships an update every 4 days, and Backyard Soccer '98 every 5 months. Most recently, Bitball Baseball was updated on October 24, 2026 and Backyard Soccer '98 on October 21, 2026.

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