Comparison

Garmin Golf vs ParPoints Golf

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Garmin Golf

Enhance your golf performance by tracking rounds, competing with friends on global leaderboards, and analyzing your game with detailed stats. Unlock advanced features like virtual rounds and green contour mapping with an optional membership.

Highlights
  • Track golf rounds
  • Compete on global leaderboards
  • Analyze course and performance stats
  • Set up custom tournaments
  • View shot maps and green contours
  • Virtual rounds with launch monitor
  • Swing video storage
Features
Read full description

However you want to elevate your golf game, the Garmin Golf app has you covered. You can track your rounds and compete with your friends and fellow golfers on weekly leaderboards at more than 43,000 courses around the world. You can also set up your own tournament events and invite your friends to play along. Once you pair your phone with an Approach®, fēnix® or another compatible Garmin device¹, you can view shot maps of each hole on your scorecard as you track your golf rounds. Course stats and performance stats are available after your rounds to evaluate your game and look for ways to improve. With a paid Garmin Golf Membership, even more great features are available: • Home Tee Hero. Play virtual rounds for more than 43,000 courses around the world with a compatible Garmin launch monitor. • Green Contours. View green slope arrows and contour lines, so you can plan your approach and sink the putt. • Swing Video Storage. Once you pair a compatible Garmin launch monitor, you can back up all your swing videos for future reference in our cloud. This is just the beginning of how the Garmin Golf app can improve your game. Download the app today to get started. ¹See a full list of compatible devices at https://www.garmin.com/golfdevices Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.  Privacy Policy: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/privacy/golf/ Garmin Golf Membership Terms and Conditions: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/TC-garmin-golf/

About

ParPoints Golf

This app revolutionizes golf scoring by allowing players to earn points for achieving par or better from chosen positions on each hole. It offers live group scoring, global course access, and personalized game improvement tools. Ideal for casual players, youth golfers, and tournament organizers seeking a fun, engaging scoring experience.

Highlights
  • Choose your par position on each hole
  • Earn points for par or better
  • No bogeys penalties
  • Set personal records and earn bag tags
  • Live group scoring and real-time leaderboards
  • Access to 38,000+ courses worldwide
  • Improve game consistency with distance practice
Features
Read full description

"I admit I was skeptical, but ParPoints is a blast!" – Alan Shipnuck / Fire Pit Collective Join the new golf scoring revolution, where you choose the position on each hole you think you can score par from and score points when you shoot par or better. There are no penalties for bogeys or worse, so you can enjoy more of the shots that keep you coming back to the course—and less of the shots that make you want to throw your clubs in the river. "ParPoints is one of the most exciting golf ideas to come along in a long time." – Randy Syring / PGA Pro Set personal records, earn bag tags for special accomplishments, and compete against your friends with live group scoring. With access to over 38,000 courses around the world, load up ParPoints and head to your favorite course today, and play with anyone on any other course in real time, with a shared leaderboard. "I live in California, and I had to come all the way to the middle of Kansas to discover the most exciting thing going on in golf." – Chuck Mowrey / California golf enthusiast Looking to improve your game? Shoot par consistently from a certain distance before you move back, and watch your skills grow with your distance. This is a great approach for youth golfers, endorsed by PGA pros across the country. You can even keep score for kids without them needing an account. Setting up a tournament? Make it a ParPoints tournament to liven up the scoring and get a quick solution for a live, real-time leaderboard in everyone’s pockets. Have a regular game at your home course? Break up the monotony by playing your old holes from positions you’ve never been able to try before. "ParPoints is changing the game." – Matt Ginella / Fire Pit Collective Golf should be fun. We’re here to make sure it is. Par is possible. Go out there and get yours, with ParPoints. Privacy Policy: https://www.parpointsgolf.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://parpointsgolf.com/terms-conditions

Screenshots

Garmin Golf4 screens
ParPoints Golf4 screens

Verdict

The call

Garmin Golf and ParPoints Golf both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of ParPoints Golf's written reviews are positive against 50% of Garmin Golf's. ParPoints Golf also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Garmin Golf's advantage is ratings volume (7.3K vs 48) and chart position (#73 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Garmin Golf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and ParPoints Golf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Garmin Golf against 4.7 for ParPoints Golf. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Golf has 7.3K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Garmin Golf's written reviews are positive against 100% of ParPoints Golf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Garmin Golf ships an update every 6 weeks, ParPoints Golf every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Garmin Golf versus ParPoints Golf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGarmin GolfParPoints Golf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (7.3K ratings)4.7 (48 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.3K — better48
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#73 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size835 MB97 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGarminParPoints Golf

Customer experience

Garmin Golf

All ratings7,230 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews1,004 reviews
Positive49.9%
Neutral16.2%
Negative33.9%

ParPoints Golf

All ratings48 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Garmin Golf

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Rounds not syncing between watch and app
  • Scorecard and shot data not displaying correctly
  • Connectivity issues between app and devices
  • Courses not updated with recent layout changes
  • Inability to edit or move incorrectly tracked shots

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add Stableford scoring option
  • Allow editing of shot data and club info
  • Provide more detailed course previews
  • Integrate with other golf apps and platforms
  • Improve shot tracking accuracy and customization
Show 1 more
  • Enhance stat tracking and visualization

ParPoints Golf

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Garmin Golf

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Membership1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Membership1 Month trial$99.991 Year
4 purchases

ParPoints Golf

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Access$3.991 Month
  • Organization Access Tier 1$150.001 Month
  • Organization Access$200.001 Month
Show 1 more
  • Organization Access Tier Two$250.001 Month

Questions

Is Garmin Golf free?
Garmin Golf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ParPoints Golf free?
ParPoints Golf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Garmin Golf or ParPoints Golf?
ParPoints Golf is rated higher. Garmin Golf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while ParPoints Golf averages 4.7 from 48 ratings.
Do Garmin Golf or ParPoints Golf have ads?
Neither Garmin Golf nor ParPoints Golf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Garmin Golf or ParPoints Golf?
Garmin Golf ships an update every 6 weeks, and ParPoints Golf every 2 months. Most recently, Garmin Golf was updated on October 26, 2026 and ParPoints Golf on October 24, 2026.

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