# Rookies vs Ballplayer

The clearest difference is rating: Rookies at 4.6 against Ballplayer's 4.0. Rookies also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 56%) and ratings volume (593 vs 60). Ballplayer's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Rookies holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rookies has 593 ratings behind it against 60, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Rookies's written reviews are positive against 56% of Ballplayer's.

Rookies ships an update every 9 months, Ballplayer weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rookies | Ballplayer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (593 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rookies/id699116270/reviews)** | [4.0 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ballplayer-scorekeeping/id1633749336/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **593** | 60 |
| Positive reviews | **81.9% of reviews** | 56.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 275 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.2** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rookies](https://appshunter.io/developer/699116274) | [Baseball App LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633749338) |

## What reviewers say

### Rookies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rookies/id699116270)

Design and print custom baseball cards with a variety of templates. Personalize fronts and backs with photos and text, then share them digitally or print them on premium card stock.

**Highlights:** Customizable front and back templates, Photo and text customization, Social sharing, Physical card printing, Retro baseball card designs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent quality cards
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🎁 Great gift idea
- 🤝 Fantastic customer service
- 🏆 Memorable keepsakes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔧 Limited customization options
- 🎨 Lack of color/design variety
- 🚢 Slow shipping at times
- 💰 Minimum order quantity too high
- 🔍 Difficulty with order processing

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when placing orders
- Saved designs not accessible across devices
- Incorrect card backs (e.g. baseball instead of requested sport)

**Requested features**

- More card design templates
- Ability to upload custom designs
- Option to print at home
- Improved app stability and reliability
- Ability to order smaller quantities


### Ballplayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ballplayer-scorekeeping/id1633749336)

Track and share baseball and softball game statistics in real-time. This app allows players to record every hit, catch, walk, and stolen base, and share live stats with friends and family. Features in-app messaging and live activity feeds for a social game-day experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time stat tracking, Share stats with friends and family, In-app messaging, Live activity feeds, Comprehensive stat recording

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Combines game scoring with highlights and feed
- 👍 Great for staying connected with former teams
- 👍 Does everything needed for free
- 👍 Scorekeeping, stat keeping, communication, scheduling
- 👍 Incredible development pace

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Takes too long to load
- 🐛 Lacking inclusive features like real-time game stats, live video
- 🐛 Cannot set up an account due to username issues
- 🐛 Username unavailable error prevents account creation
- 🐛 App doesn't work, errors on tap

**Reported bugs**

- Slow loading times on notifications
- App crashes or shows errors on tap
- Username unavailable error for account creation
- Age verification incorrectly flags users as not 13
- Inability to press 'DONE' to complete game creation

**Requested features**

- Real-time game stats
- Live video streaming
- Ability for parents to create multiple player profiles
- Ability to edit things in certain places
- Fix 'DONE' button issue for game creation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rookies free?

Rookies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ballplayer free?

Ballplayer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Rookies or Ballplayer?

Rookies is rated higher. Rookies averages 4.6 out of 5 from 593 ratings, while Ballplayer averages 4.0 from 60 ratings.

### Do Rookies or Ballplayer have ads?

Neither Rookies nor Ballplayer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rookies or Ballplayer?

Rookies ships an update every 9 months, and Ballplayer weekly. Most recently, Rookies was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ballplayer on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*