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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Team Shake vs Popsicle Sticks

Team Shake 4.9★ · $1.99 · ⚠ stale 85
Winner Team Shake
Popsicle Sticks 4.6★ · Free + IAP 60

Team Shake is the better choice for users seeking a reliable, one-time purchase app with robust grouping features and good customer support, while Popsicle Sticks struggles with a confusing freemium model and persistent technical issues.

Full reviews: Team Shake · Popsicle Sticks

Team Shake offers a comprehensive and well-regarded solution for random grouping and team creation, especially for educators, despite some minor usability and syncing issues. Popsicle Sticks, while praised for its core functionality, is hampered by a frustrating free-to-paid conversion, numerous bugs, and poor user interface for managing lists.

Head to head

Features & Functionality edge: Team ShakeR26R27R28R30
Team Shake Team Shake users appreciate its ability to create balanced groups based on strength/weakness, gender, and skill levels, along with features like avoiding specific pairings and printing teams R26R27R30. It also supports importing CSV lists R28 and offers a random name picking feature .
Popsicle Sticks Popsicle Sticks is praised for random name selection, grouping, and other features like dice roll and a tournament mode . However, users report issues with students being left out of groups , the inability to mix groups by gender , and the speaker option not working .
Ease of Use edge: Team ShakeR3R4R6R9
Team Shake Many Team Shake users find it easy to use, fast, and user-friendly once they get accustomed to it R12R33. However, some reviewers mention a learning curve for the interface and adding classes R6R9. There are also complaints about the 'shake' feature not working R4 and difficulty deleting lists R3.
Popsicle Sticks Popsicle Sticks receives mixed reviews on ease of use. While some find it intuitive and easy to set up , many users struggle with deleting students or class lists . The interface is described as not user-friendly for managing classes and switching between screens .
Reliability & Performance edge: Team ShakeR4R7R12R17
Team Shake Team Shake is generally considered reliable, with users stating it works great and efficiently R12R26. However, some recent reviews mention issues with the shake function not working R4, the app not saving R17, or crashing after updates . One user couldn't add a class after 5 years of use R7.
Popsicle Sticks Popsicle Sticks has significant reliability issues. Users report frequent crashes, especially when importing CSV files or trying to pick a random student R79R82. Some users also experienced random people being added to groups and the app not working seamlessly with multitasking or split-screen on iPad .
Price & Value edge: Team ShakeR30R45R48R60
Team Shake Team Shake is a paid app at $1.99 and is generally considered good value, with users stating it's 'worth every penny' and 'money well spent' for its features and time-saving capabilities R30R45R48R60.
Popsicle Sticks Popsicle Sticks is a free app with in-app purchases, but many users feel it's a 'cash grab' and 'deceptive' . Users are frequently prompted to pay for basic features like creating more than one class or making more than a few random groups R61. The costs add up quickly, making it not budget-friendly for teachers with many students .
Support & Updates edge: Team ShakeR1R2R10R14
Team Shake Team Shake has positive feedback for its customer support, with one user receiving a response and a video tutorial within 24 hours R14. Another bug was fixed within a week . However, some users note a lack of continued updates for a paid app R1R10 and unaddressed issues like syncing across devices R2R33 or saving .
Popsicle Sticks Popsicle Sticks also has positive mentions for responsive customer service regarding import questions . However, users report issues with the app crashing during import R79R82 and an inability to get app support due to errors . Many requested updates for features like deleting students, better iPad interface, or fixing pronunciation .
Pick Team Shake if

you are a teacher or coach looking for a reliable, one-time purchase app to create balanced and random groups with advanced features like strength/weakness ratings and specific pairings, and value good customer support R14R26R30.

Pick Popsicle Sticks if

you are looking for a free app for very basic random name selection and grouping, and are willing to tolerate frequent prompts for in-app purchases and potential bugs, or if you only need to manage one small class R61R96.

Evidence note: Reviews for Popsicle Sticks are heavily skewed by negative experiences with its freemium model and numerous technical issues, which contrasts with its lifetime rating. Team Shake's negative reviews are fewer and generally concern minor usability or specific feature requests rather than core functionality.

Frequently asked

Can Team Shake sync across multiple devices?
No, Team Shake users report that the app does not sync information among devices, making it difficult to transfer data if a device is unavailable R2R33.
Does Popsicle Sticks allow multiple classes in the free version?
No, Popsicle Sticks users frequently report that the free version limits them to only one class, requiring an in-app purchase to create more R61R96R117.
Can I import class lists into these apps?
Yes, Team Shake allows importing CSV lists R28, and Popsicle Sticks also supports CSV import, though some users report crashing issues with this feature, especially on iPhone or when files are created on a PC R79R82R88.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R26] Team Shake 5/5 · US Life is easy: With team shake! We use this program at least three times a week, and it works exceptionally well. Matches teams/players comparatively close. Just rate each player from weakest to strongest, select the number of players and shake. Been very helpful for about 2 years now!
  2. [R27] Team Shake 5/5 · US Love it!: I teach K-12 PE and love how I can have all the kids in one app and quickly divide teams - have boys and girls and different skill levels evenly distributed- save a ton of time!
  3. [R28] Team Shake 5/5 · US Excellent: Great app! You can even import a csv list so you don’t have to type in every name to the app.
  4. [R30] Team Shake 5/5 · US Highly recommended: I teach an adult ESL class, in which the students are at drastically different levels. This app makes it so easy for me to arrange them in either homogenous or heterogeneous groups, depending on the activity. I can leave the iPad opened, so they can easily find their group or partner, allowing me to facilitate those who have already begun. Worth every penny!
  5. [R3] Team Shake 3/5 · US Team shake: Need a delete for deleting an entire list from previous semesters. More on main screen or editing .
  6. [R4] Team Shake 2/5 · US Won’t Shake: I’m not sure if it’s my iPhone or it’s operating system, but on occasion, the shake feature won’t work. I have to restart my phone to get it working again. This is frustrating because I group my PE classes at the beginning of each class and wind up having to wait until my phone is ready to begin the lesson. Also, I can’t disable the shake function (to just using the touch screen ic
  7. [R6] Team Shake 3/5 · US Not user friendly: Seems simple but it's not. Import list, press shake. No. that didn't work. Wish I knew what i was doing wrong.
  8. [R9] Team Shake 1/5 · US Not user friendly: The interface is difficult to work with, and should be more straight forward. It's challenging to import class lists and has confusing wording for the different options. Seems like it should not be this difficult. Waste of $.99...unless they can improve the navigation in adding classes/students.
  9. [R7] Team Shake 1/5 · US Useless: I have used this app in the classroom for 5 years. I recently needed to change my classes but it gives me a warning and I can’t get past it to add a class. I went ahead and upgraded to the paid version but it still doesn’t work.
  10. [R12] Team Shake 5/5 · US Efficient: This app works great.You make groups and you can save the groups and you can randomly then break them up into different groups time after time. Use-friendly, fast, an easy peasy. I am in lovr wotj this app.
  11. [R17] Team Shake 2/5 · US Won't save: Since iOS update the app won't let me save ANYTHING!!! Very frustrating when you have 14 classes you would like to use it with.
  12. [R45] Team Shake 5/5 · US A must for a busy teacher!: I was introduced to this app by our gym teacher. It has been a life saver. In a science/ STEM classroom I constantly have to group kids. The set up time takes a little bit but the ease of creating groups, that are multi ability, is worth every minute. I email myself the list, project it for the kids to see and now set up time is reduced!
  13. [R48] Team Shake 5/5 · US Great!: It is easy to set up and use. Team Shake makes unique groups a breeze. Money well spent.
  14. [R60] Team Shake 5/5 · US Life saver: Spent about 10 minutes today importing my classes and a bit more time looking at strengths/ gender/ pairings to avoid and voila - all set to go! Great app for PE teachers or anyone else looking to do easy groupings. Love the random call out feature too where you can randomly select any student. Fab - best $.99 you’ll spend
  15. [R1] Team Shake 2/5 · US Needs continued improvement: This app is the tip of the iceberg of what could be done for team making and randomizing. I’d love to see a lock feature to keep teams in place, it’s impossible to stay still as a teacher that uses this. I’d appreciate a feature allowing certain players to always be with specific others. I’d appreciate other strength and weakness features to be added as well. For a pai
  16. [R2] Team Shake 4/5 · US Wish…: I wish this app would sync among devices. We use this for school every day. LOVE IT!!! Now our iPad is in the shop but unable to transfer the info easily to new device.
  17. [R10] Team Shake 4/5 · US great but: Needs to be updated, please
  18. [R14] Team Shake 5/5 · US Amazing app: I needed an app to sort 24 different singers who all sing a different harmony voice part into 6 random quartets. I emailed support and got a response back within 24 hours. They even included a special video telling me exactly what to do. Opposing Teams was the answer. Amazing app and fantastic support
  19. [R33] Team Shake 5/5 · US A favorite PE app but could use some tweaking: I think this app is great for all the different options for creating teams. I use it almost daily. Printing out permanent teams for a team unit is helpful for the kids and is a time saver for me. It does take a little getting use to the user interface but once you have played around enough it's pretty easy. The one complaint I have is that my lists ar
  20. [R61] Popsicle Sticks 2/5 · US Good but: I like the app I like all the stuff but of course every app now have to have a premium or something to buy with and and you have to upgrade it to premium to get more than random groupings and to make more than one classes it’s really weird and I do not like it. That’s why I’m giving it two stars
  21. [R96] Popsicle Sticks 2/5 · US Classes: You don’t let us have more than one class. Why should we have to pay to make a list. Starting to think about just using the notes app.
  22. [R117] Popsicle Sticks 5/5 · US Love it: Only wish it didn’t cost me to have more than one class, or I would have known that before I fell in love with the app. I tried other similar apps but this one is user friendly. I also love that I can change how randomly it chooses students’ names.
  23. [R79] Popsicle Sticks 2/5 · US Import glitches: I will update after I actually get to try the app. Right now I’m frustrated because the app keeps crashing during the import process. 2 classes worked fine, but the third list crashes the app as soon as I try to scroll and confirm the list. I’m annoyed so far & hope the experience improves. I’m off to type in 31 names….
  24. [R82] Popsicle Sticks 1/5 · US Crashing: App crashes when using CSV importing on iPhone.
  25. [R88] Popsicle Sticks 2/5 · US Disappointed: It’s hard to believe the steps to import a class don’t work. I wish I read some reviews before I bought it. I’ve used the stick pick app for years and love it. This app had some additional features so thought I would give it a try. I have 160 students and am not about to manually add each student. I could’ve spent $5 on something else.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store