Comparison

FTC Bonfire vs Future Forward Labs

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

Head to head
About

FTC Bonfire

This platform streamlines team management and scouting for competitive robotics. It uses AI to parse scoreboards, calculate alliance compatibility, and track real-time statistics. Features include virtual pit scouting, team notes, and advancement point tracking.

Highlights
  • AI-powered scoreboard parsing
  • Alliance compatibility calculator
  • Real-time statistics tracking
  • Virtual pit scouting
  • Team notes and reliability ratings
  • Advancement points tracking
  • Smart watch system
Features
Read full description

FTC Bonfire is the all-in-one real time scouting and team management platform built by FTC TEAM X (#23512). Transform how your team prepares, competes, and succeeds with powerful tools that give you a competitive edge. AI-Powered Scoreboard Parsing Simply take a photo of the scoreboard or upload an image, and our advanced OCR technology automatically extracts all match scores. No more manual data entry. Focus on scouting instead of transcription. Edit any scores that need adjustment, and watch your statistics update in real-time. Alliance Compatibility Calculator Make smarter alliance decisions with our advanced compatibility algorithm. Analyze OPR/DPR balance, phase coverage (autonomous, teleop, endgame), capability synergy, and match history to find the perfect alliance partners. Get color-coded compatibility scores that help you make data-driven decisions during alliance selection. Real-Time Statistics Watch OPR, DPR, CCWM, and phase-specific stats update in real-time as matches are played. Make data-driven decisions with live analytics throughout the tournament. View team rankings, leaderboards, and historical performance data all in one place. Virtual Pit Scouting Create detailed robot profiles showcasing your team's capabilities. Document drivetrain configuration, sensors, autonomous capabilities, teleOp features, and endgame mechanisms. Scout other teams efficiently with pre-filled robot information, photos, and performance ratings. Share insights with your team members instantly. Team Notes & Reliability Ratings Keep comprehensive scouting notes and rate team reliability at events. Track which teams are reliable partners, note strengths and weaknesses, and share observations with your team. Organize notes by event for easy reference during alliance selection. Advancement Points Tracking Automatically track your team's qualification progress across all events in a season. View advancement points at the event level or track totals across the entire season. See breakdowns by type: qualification points, alliance selection points, playoff points, and award points. Smart Watch System Set up customizable watches for teams, events, or seasons. Receive real-time notifications about match results, awards, schedule updates, and team announcements via push notifications, email, or web. Never miss an important update during tournaments. Match Score Upload (AI Enabled) Anyone at a tournament can upload scoreboard photos—help the entire community by contributing scores. The more scores uploaded, the better the statistics for everyone! Community-driven data collection makes Bonfire more powerful for all teams. Enterprise-Grade Security Two-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA) with TOTP support and QR code generation. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with system and team-level permissions. Encrypted data storage and transmission to protect sensitive information. Perfect For • FTC teams looking to improve their scouting workflow • Team members who want to contribute to match score collection • Coaches and captains making alliance selection decisions • Anyone who wants to track team performance and advancement points • Teams preparing for championships and major tournaments Getting Started • Sign in with your Google account or email • Join your team using a team code or claim a new team • Create a robot profile for the current season • Find and pin your upcoming event • Start scouting and uploading match scores! Join the FTC Bonfire community and take your team's performance to the next level! Support: For questions or issues, contact feedback@ignitepathways.org Website: https://ftc.ignitepathways.org

About

Future Forward Labs

Features
Read full description

Future Forward Labs pairs high school and middle school students with mentors who have completed their PhDs to guide original STEM research, from first question to finished paper. This app keeps students and parents connected to that work between sessions, so momentum never stalls. Stay in continuous touch with your mentor: Message your mentor directly when a question comes up; about your methodology, your next experiment, or your draft. No waiting for the next call to keep moving. Never miss a next step: Every session generates clear action items pulled straight from your meeting notes. Track what's pending and what's complete, so you always know exactly what to do before you meet again. All your sessions in one place: See your upcoming and completed sessions at a glance, with the full history of your research journey in a single, organized view. Your session notes, always accessible: Mentor notes, feedback, and an activity feed of your project's progress stay with you, whenever you need to revisit them. Built for students and parents alike: Parents stay informed and involved without managing the details, while students drive their own research with expert guidance close at hand. Never miss an important update: Real-time notifications keep you on top of new messages, scheduled sessions, comments on your work, and fresh action items from every meeting. Future Forward Labs supports students preparing for rigorous STEM competitions and research milestones including ISEF, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, Thermo Fisher Junior Innovator Challenge and undergraduate STEM admissions. This app is a companion to active Future Forward Labs mentorship programs. Visit: futureforward.app Like: facebook.com/futureforwardlabs Follow: instagram.com/futureforwardlabshq

Screenshots

FTC Bonfire4 screens
Future Forward Labs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: FTC Bonfire at 13.0 against Future Forward Labs's 15.1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FTC Bonfire ships an update every 6 days, Future Forward Labs weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
FTC Bonfire versus Future Forward Labs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFTC BonfireFuture Forward Labs
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB27 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperIGNITE PathwaysFuture Forward Labs Inc

In-app purchases

None

FTC Bonfire

No in-app purchases

None

Future Forward Labs

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FTC Bonfire free?
FTC Bonfire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Future Forward Labs free?
Future Forward Labs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FTC Bonfire or Future Forward Labs have ads?
Neither FTC Bonfire nor Future Forward Labs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FTC Bonfire or Future Forward Labs?
FTC Bonfire ships an update every 6 days, and Future Forward Labs weekly. Most recently, FTC Bonfire was updated on September 13, 2026 and Future Forward Labs on September 18, 2026.

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