# Tickle the Pig vs Backyard Baseball '97

The clearest difference is price: Tickle the Pig at Free against Backyard Baseball '97's $4.99. Tickle the Pig also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (100% vs 65%). Backyard Baseball '97's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 12) and chart position (#7 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Tickle the Pig is free to download; Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Tickle the Pig holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backyard Baseball '97 has 1.6K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Tickle the Pig's written reviews are positive against 65% of Backyard Baseball '97's.

Tickle the Pig ships an update every 2 weeks, Backyard Baseball '97 every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tickle the Pig | Backyard Baseball '97 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tickle-the-pig/id6740339848/reviews)** | [4.0 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-baseball-97/id6740349666/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 65.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#7** |
| Size | 75 MB | 326 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brian Broeking](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789570473) | [Playground Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789636577) |

## What reviewers say

### Tickle the Pig

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tickle-the-pig/id6740339848)

Interact with a virtual pig by tapping to tickle it, earning in-game currency to customize its appearance. Engage in social features like trading 'tickles' and bestowing blessings or curses upon friends, while your in-game alignment influences your path.

**Highlights:** Tap to tickle a virtual pig, Customize pig with hats and accessories, Social features: trade tickles, bless/curse friends, Alignment system: Generous vs. Greedy, Weekly bounties and seasonal pass, No ads or leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Backyard Baseball '97

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-baseball-97/id6740349666)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Sports, #12 Top Paid · Family, #156 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Relive the classic baseball game with iconic characters, fun power-ups, and intuitive controls. Play quick games, practice batting, or manage a full season with unique game modes and simplified rules.

**Highlights:** Iconic character roster, Power-ups and special pitches, Pick-up and single game modes, Full season management, Batting practice mode, Simplified T-ball mode

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Nostalgia and great memories
- 👍 Faithful recreation of the original game
- 💡 Potential for future updates and expansions
- 👍 Seamless mobile experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 👎 Difficult controls and input issues
- 👎 Limited screen size and visibility
- 👎 Lack of new features or modes

**Reported bugs**

- Gameplay freezes and crashes
- Inconsistent fielding and throwing mechanics
- Hitting mechanics feel unresponsive
- Inability to save progress after crashes

**Requested features**

- Full-screen mode
- Improved controls and input responsiveness
- New game modes (e.g., home run derby, playoffs)
- Ability to select home field
- Option to mute all sounds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tickle the Pig free?

Tickle the Pig is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Backyard Baseball '97 free?

Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tickle the Pig or Backyard Baseball '97?

Tickle the Pig is rated higher. Tickle the Pig averages 5.0 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Backyard Baseball '97 averages 4.0 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Tickle the Pig or Backyard Baseball '97 have ads?

Neither Tickle the Pig nor Backyard Baseball '97 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tickle the Pig or Backyard Baseball '97?

Tickle the Pig ships an update every 2 weeks, and Backyard Baseball '97 every 10 days. Most recently, Tickle the Pig was updated on November 4, 2026 and Backyard Baseball '97 on November 8, 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.*