# Vista Golf vs Golf Rival

Vista Golf and Golf Rival both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Vista Golf's written reviews are positive against 38% of Golf Rival's. Vista Golf also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Golf Rival's advantage is ratings volume (157K vs 1.5K) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vista Golf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Golf Rival sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Vista Golf against 4.5 for Golf Rival. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Golf Rival has 157K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Vista Golf's written reviews are positive against 38% of Golf Rival's.

Vista Golf ships an update fortnightly, Golf Rival every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vista Golf | Golf Rival |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vista-golf/id1199546168/reviews) | **[4.5 (157K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golf-rival-multiplayer-game/id1354796403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | **157K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.2% of reviews** | 37.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 105 MB | 405 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shallot Games, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/916624104) | [Zynga Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/295913422) |

## What reviewers say

### Vista Golf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vista-golf/id1199546168)

Experience competitive mini golf with crisp controls and endless courses. Challenge yourself on daily and weekly courses, or relax with infinite mode. Compete globally on leaderboards and unlock achievements.

**Highlights:** Infinite Mode, Weekly competitive courses, Daily challenging courses, Cross-platform leaderboards, Achievements and unlockable badges, Simple drag-and-shoot controls

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⛳ Relaxing and enjoyable gameplay
- 🎨 Clean and minimalist design
- 🏆 Challenging and rewarding courses
- 🕹️ Intuitive and easy-to-use controls
- 🕰️ Great way to pass time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Visibility issues due to obstructed views
- 🎢 Inconsistent ball physics and power
- 🕰️ Repetitive and monotonous after a while
- 💰 Aggressive monetization with ads
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Ball getting stuck in infinite loop
- Hole 113 spinner bug
- Courses disappearing after ads
- Stroke count not tracking correctly

**Requested features**

- Ability to create and share custom courses
- More varied obstacles and course themes
- Improved camera controls and zooming
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- Replay or undo last shot feature


### Golf Rival

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golf-rival-multiplayer-game/id1354796403)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Sports, #24 Top Grossing · Simulation, #63 Top Free · Sports, #193 Top Grossing · Games, #195 Top Free · Simulation (US App Store)

Compete in real-time PvP golf matches, showcasing your skills across diverse courses. Collect clubs and balls, master your swing, and climb leaderboards to become a golf champion. Experience dynamic course conditions and strategic club modifications.

**Highlights:** Real-time PvP golf matches, 600+ courses across 21+ themes, Club and ball collection, Course Conditions and Club Mods, 1v1 duels and tournaments, Daily challenges, Multiplayer golf mode

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PIGGY_BANK | $2.99 | one-time |
| Save Streak | $2.99 | one-time |
| BIG PILE OF DIAMONDS | $4.99 | one-time |
| Arena Big Deal | $4.99 | one-time |
| CHALLENGE PASS | $4.99 | one-time |
| FULL BAG OF DIAMONDS | $9.99 | one-time |
| Arena Super Deal | $9.99 | one-time |
| CLUB OFFER 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| FULL CHEST OF DIAMONDS | $19.99 | one-time |
| Arena Amazing Deal | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive game
- 👍 No ads
- 💡 Variety of game modes
- 👍 Progression without paying

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Unfair matchmaking against higher-level players
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🐛 Inconsistent wind and ball physics
- 🔒 Difficulty upgrading preferred clubs
- 🔒 Putting is too easy

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnections and sync issues
- Glitches with shot trajectories
- Disappearing in-app purchases

**Requested features**

- More diverse course selection
- Fairer matchmaking system
- Ability to replay unlocked levels
- Improved club upgrade system
- More challenging putting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vista Golf free?

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

### Is Golf Rival free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Vista Golf or Golf Rival?

Golf Rival is rated higher. Vista Golf averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Golf Rival averages 4.5 from 157K ratings.

### Do Vista Golf or Golf Rival have ads?

Both Vista Golf and Golf Rival show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vista Golf or Golf Rival?

Vista Golf ships an update fortnightly, and Golf Rival every 9 days. Most recently, Vista Golf was updated on November 6, 2026 and Golf Rival on November 7, 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.*