# Hockey Canada Network vs Ref Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ref Buddy at 100% against Hockey Canada Network's 18%. Ref Buddy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Hockey Canada Network's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hockey Canada Network sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Ref Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ref Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hockey Canada Network has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Hockey Canada Network's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ref Buddy's.

Hockey Canada Network ships an update every 5 months, Ref Buddy every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hockey Canada Network | Ref Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hockey-canada-network/id1040578840/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ref-buddy/id6444165901/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hockey Canada](https://appshunter.io/developer/926080816) | [Jonah Duckworth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1652762693) |

## What reviewers say

### Hockey Canada Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hockey-canada-network/id1040578840)

Access over 1,500 drills with diagrams and videos, hundreds of coach skill demonstrations, and comprehensive skills manuals. Create and share custom training plans, and receive weekly recommended practice plans. This app is designed to help coaches and players improve their hockey skills.

**Highlights:** 1,500+ drills with diagrams and videos, Coach skill video demonstrations, Skills of Gold collection, Skills Manuals with lesson plans, TSN World Juniors drills, Customizable training plans, Weekly recommended practice plans

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Content Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Content Subscription | $34.99 | per year |


### Ref Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ref-buddy/id6444165901)

This app helps sports officials manage their game assignments and track statistics. Assignors can easily schedule officials, while officials can view their upcoming games, accept or decline assignments, and access game details. It also features dedicated game chat and notifications for updates.

**Highlights:** Stat tracking, Game assignment scheduling, Accept/decline assignments, View assigned games, Game chat, Notifications for updates, Dark day setting

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hockey Canada Network free?

Hockey Canada Network is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ref Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hockey Canada Network or Ref Buddy?

Ref Buddy is rated higher. Hockey Canada Network averages 2.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Ref Buddy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hockey Canada Network or Ref Buddy have ads?

Neither Hockey Canada Network nor Ref Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hockey Canada Network or Ref Buddy?

Hockey Canada Network ships an update every 5 months, and Ref Buddy every 2 days. Most recently, Hockey Canada Network was updated on September 29, 2026 and Ref Buddy on September 18, 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.*