Poolside Showcase vs NPT Backyard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Poolside Showcase
Explore stunning and innovative pool designs from Australia. Get inspired to create your ideal outdoor living space that harmonizes with your home. Download issues to discover the latest trends in pools and spas.
- Innovative pool and spa showcases
- Outdoor area design inspiration
- Harmonious home and exterior integration
- Digital magazine issues
- Subscription options available
- Pocketmags account for purchase protection
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Poolside Showcase features the latest and most innovative pool products, displaying spectacular and cleverly designed pools and spas in Australia. The magazine inspires the design and integration of outdoor areas which ensures harmony and balance is created between the house and its exterior. Start designing your dream pool and download your edition today to never miss an issue. ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx
NPT Backyard
Visualize your dream pool in your own backyard using augmented reality. This app offers stunning 4k graphics, advanced lighting, and realistic water simulations to help you design and preview your perfect pool.
- Augmented Reality pool visualization
- 4k graphics
- Realistic lighting effects
- Advanced water systems
- Design your dream pool
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This application will no longer be available. Existing users will be required to upgrade to the new version and when opened, Users will be directed to our Website.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: NPT Backyard at 3.7 against Poolside Showcase's 1.0. NPT Backyard also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Poolside Showcase's advantage is iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Poolside Showcase sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per year. NPT Backyard asks for nothing beyond the download.
NPT Backyard holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NPT Backyard has 101 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Poolside Showcase ships an update every 30 months, NPT Backyard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Poolside Showcase | NPT Backyard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 3.7 (101 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 42.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 101 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.2 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Universal Magazines Pty Ltd | Pool Corporation |
Customer experience
Poolside Showcase
NPT Backyard
Bugs and requests
Poolside Showcase
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
NPT Backyard
Reported bugs
6 issues- AR doesn't work
- App crashes when viewing tiles
- App crashes frequently
- App is slow and hangs
- Water color doesn't change with plaster choices
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Tutorial is useless
Requested features
6 requests- Option to design a remodel for existing pools
- Ability to change pool dimensions within the app
- More standard pool shapes available (e.g., round spa)
- Include all pool tiles from the catalog
- Ability to drag and position the pool design in the yard
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- More realistic water color rendering based on plaster choices
In-app purchases
Poolside Showcase
- Poolside Showcase Auto-Renewable Subscription1 Month trial$5.991 Year
- Issue#26 2017$2.99
- Issue#24 2016$2.99
- 23$2.99
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- 22$2.99
- Poolside Showcase issue29 Issue$2.99
- issue 33 Poolside Showcase$2.99
- June Issue#21 2014$3.99
- December Issue#20 2013$3.99
- June Issue#19 2013$3.99
NPT Backyard
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Poolside Showcase free?
Is NPT Backyard free?
Which has better reviews, Poolside Showcase or NPT Backyard?
Do Poolside Showcase or NPT Backyard have ads?
Which is updated more often, Poolside Showcase or NPT Backyard?
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