# Hotlap vs Garmin Catalyst™

The clearest difference is rating: Garmin Catalyst™ at 4.8 against Hotlap's 4.3. Garmin Catalyst™ also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (82% vs 69%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hotlap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Garmin Catalyst™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Garmin Catalyst™ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 79 and 120 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Hotlap's written reviews are positive against 82% of Garmin Catalyst™'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hotlap | Garmin Catalyst™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotlap/id1277202844/reviews) | **[4.8 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-catalyst/id1603280610/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 79 | **120** |
| Positive reviews | 69.4% of reviews | **81.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 118 MB | 220 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Extravehicular Activity, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1277202843) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### Hotlap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotlap/id1277202844)

This app offers GPS lap timing and data logging for track day enthusiasts. Compare your performance with others in a community setting to improve your personal bests.

**Highlights:** GPS lap timing, Data logging, Performance comparison, Community features, Personal best tracking

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hotlap Plus Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Hotlap Plus Annual | $23.99 | per year |


### Garmin Catalyst™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-catalyst/id1603280610)

Access and analyze your motorsports performance data on your smartphone. Review lap times, session summaries, and driver profiles. Track annual driving activity and session weather conditions.

**Highlights:** Access performance data, View lap times, Session summaries, Customizable driver profiles, Track annual activity, Record weather conditions

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Great performance data
- 💡 Actionable driving insights
- 👍 Simple setup
- 👍 Great for track drivers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches when logging in
- 🐛 App just glitches
- 🐛 Loading is soooo slow
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Comparing to friends frequently fails

**Reported bugs**

- Everytime you try logging in the app just glitches anyways can’t even get logged in.
- Comparing to others frequently fails
- Compare to friend feature way to frequently fails with the message about the tracks not matching well enough despite being the same track on the same days even.
- New version is off
- It won’t let me compare the laps with other friends on the same day. Says lap not similar. Literally same day same track same session.

**Requested features**

- Option to select 1-5 laps for optimum view
- Watch reference videos side by side on the Catalyst
- Add video review on phone or iPad
- Allow moving videos to iCloud for review
- Ability to download in-car camera footage directly from device to app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hotlap free?

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

### Is Garmin Catalyst™ free?

Garmin Catalyst™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hotlap or Garmin Catalyst™?

Garmin Catalyst™ is rated higher. Hotlap averages 4.3 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while Garmin Catalyst™ averages 4.8 from 120 ratings.

### Do Hotlap or Garmin Catalyst™ have ads?

Neither Hotlap nor Garmin Catalyst™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hotlap or Garmin Catalyst™?

Hotlap ships an update monthly, and Garmin Catalyst™ monthly. Most recently, Hotlap was updated on September 24, 2026 and Garmin Catalyst™ on September 23, 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.*