# PenScore vs Backside Stats

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backside Stats at 80% against PenScore's 14%. Backside Stats also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months). PenScore's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PenScore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Backside Stats sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Backside Stats holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 81 and 78 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of PenScore's written reviews are positive against 80% of Backside Stats's.

PenScore ships an update every 8 months, Backside Stats monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PenScore | Backside Stats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (81 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penscore-baseball-scorecard-scorekeeping/id708946616/reviews) | **[4.7 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backside-stats/id6446414306/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **81** | 78 |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 13 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brendan Mahon](https://appshunter.io/developer/453632591) | [Backside Stats LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879082485) |

## What reviewers say

### PenScore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penscore-baseball-scorecard-scorekeeping/id708946616)

Easily keep score for baseball games on your phone, just like traditional pen and paper. Quickly enter lineups and advance runners with simple gestures. Save, share, or tweet your completed scorecards.

**Highlights:** Intuitive scoring system, Minimal setup required, Save scorecards to photo album, Share scorecards via tweet or email, Easy runner advancement with swipes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Saves paper
- 👍 Closely approximates paper scoring
- 👍 Flexible notation system
- 👍 Can add players on the fly
- 👍 No additional charge for iPad version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Paid to remove ads, but ads still appear
- 😠 Ads are intrusive and frequent
- 🐌 Slow loading and response times
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🤔 Difficult to use and understand

**Reported bugs**

- Ads do not remove after purchase
- App crashes frequently
- Buttons do not display text until touched
- App quits unexpectedly after entering rosters or during gameplay
- Back button returns to startup screen and erases data

**Requested features**

- Offer a paid app with no ads
- Add a restore purchase button for ads removal
- Fix the issue where ads still appear after payment
- Improve usability and add a tutorial
- Allow marking outs for force plays


### Backside Stats

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backside-stats/id6446414306)

Effortlessly track game scores and player statistics for slow-pitch softball. Designed for coaches and players to manage season-long performance and tournament data.

**Highlights:** Scorekeeping, Player statistics tracking, Season-long performance management, Tournament data management, Designed for coaches and players

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PenScore free?

PenScore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Backside Stats free?

Backside Stats is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PenScore or Backside Stats?

Backside Stats is rated higher. PenScore averages 2.7 out of 5 from 81 ratings, while Backside Stats averages 4.7 from 78 ratings.

### Do PenScore or Backside Stats have ads?

Neither PenScore nor Backside Stats shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PenScore or Backside Stats?

PenScore ships an update every 8 months, and Backside Stats monthly. Most recently, PenScore was updated on October 22, 2026 and Backside Stats on October 24, 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.*