Comparison

RefHQ vs By Rule

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

Head to head
About

RefHQ

Master sports rules with interactive quizzes and study materials. Compete with others, access pregame content, and take notes for game-specific preparation. Supports basketball and lacrosse, with more sports coming soon.

Highlights
  • Rulebook and casebook quizzes
  • Multiple choice and T/F questions
  • New content added monthly
  • Study specific rules or shuffle mode
  • Compete for best question streak
  • Access IAABO pregame content
  • Pregame notepad for notes
Features
Read full description

“As sports officials, we cannot just know the rules – we must master the rules.” – Al Battista (NBA Eastern Regional Officials Scout) RefHQ is your headquarters for studying, quizzing and mastering the rules – so you can have the answer in the heat of the moment. Features: - Quiz on multiple choice and T/F questions regarding rulebook and casebook topics. The question bank includes hundreds of quiz questions with new content added every month. - Study specific rules, individual special topics (rule changes, etc.), or study all questions in shuffle mode Compete with other users for the best streak of consecutive correctly answered questions - Access IAABO pregame content to have on-hand for pregame conferences and preparation Pregame notepad to store game-specific journals and notes ***RefHQ now supports the following sports and rule codes: - Basketball (powered by IAABO) - NFHS - NCAA-M - NCAA-W - FIBA - Lacrosse - NFHS Coming Soon: - Soccer - Baseball - Lacrosse (NCAA) - and more! SUBSCRIPTION: - IAABO pregame content is free for all users - A paid monthly subscription is required to access the quizzing features of RefHQ - Try all features of RefHQ free for 7 days - Cancel subscription anytime free of charge - Continue membership on a month-by-month basis at one of the following package rates: Single Ruleset: $3.99/month Single Sport: $5.99/month All-Access: $9.99/month - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - Auto-renew may be turned off by visiting the App Store Account Settings Follow this link to read the RefHQ End User Licensing Agreement: https://sites.google.com/view/refhq-eula/home Contact us at refhqsports@gmail.com with any questions.

About

By Rule

Master NCAA basketball rules with this AI-powered study tool. Features flashcards, quizzes, audio rules, video clips, and instant AI interpretations to help officials, coaches, and players learn and track their progress.

Highlights
  • AI-powered study companion
  • Flashcards and quizzes
  • Audio rules and video clips
  • Instant AI rules interpretations
  • Progress tracking and analytics
  • Real-game scenarios
Read full description

By Rule - NCAA Basketball Rules Study & Quiz The #1 app for basketball officials, coaches, players, and fans. Learn NCAA rules using this AI-powered study companion. Optimize Studies: Dive into rules with flashcards, quizzes, and a learning module Learn Anytime: Audio rules, video clips, and real-game scenarios keep you sharp on the go Manu AI: Get instant rules interpretations from your pocket assistant Track Progress: Analytics pinpoint strengths and gaps to boost your confidence. Study Like a Pro 1000+ flashcards, questions covering men's & women's rules Smart notes with tagging and advanced search Real-game scenarios and video examples Quick-reference PDF with highlighting Why By Rule? Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, By Rule is a companion designed to grow with you. It’s simple, fast, and packed with hundreds of flashcards, questions and rules learning content—perfect for anyone serious about the game. What Officials Are Saying "Finally, an app that actually helps me learn the rules. The audio feature is a game-changer for learning on the road." - Certified NCAA Official Premium Features: Men's & Women's Rules Information Rules Center Quick Start Learning Module Complete Audio Rules Library Video Learning Library AI Rules Assistant (Manu) Dynamic Study Custom Study Notifications Daily Quiz Notes Advanced Analytics Dashboard Max Cards Stacks Spotlight Rules Monthly: $19.99 | Annual: $179.99 Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled 24 hours before the period ends. Manage via App Store settings. Unused trial time forfeits upon purchase. Links: Terms: https://byruleterms.web.app Privacy: https://byruleprivacypolicy.web.app Contact: https://byruleapp.com | @byruleapp

Screenshots

RefHQ4 screens
By Rule4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: By Rule at 5.0 against RefHQ's 4.5. By Rule also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). RefHQ's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, 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. RefHQ sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and By Rule sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

By Rule holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of RefHQ's written reviews are positive against 100% of By Rule's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RefHQ ships an update every 2 weeks, By Rule every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RefHQ versus By Rule: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefHQBy Rule
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (11 ratings)5.0 (20 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1120 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB185 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph SwitzerDaniel Aupont

Customer experience

RefHQ

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

By Rule

All ratings20 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

RefHQ

Subscriptions4
  • RefHQ Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Single RuleSet Subscription7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Monthly Single Sport7 Days trial$5.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • RefHQ Monthly All Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
7 purchases

By Rule

Subscriptions7
  • By Rule Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • By Rule Standard Monthly$6.991 Month
  • By Rule Pro$6.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • By Rule Pro Annual$17.991 Year
  • By Rule Pro Monthly$19.991 Month
  • By Rule Pro Annual$19.991 Year
  • By Rule Pro$179.991 Year

Questions

Is RefHQ free?
RefHQ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is By Rule free?
By Rule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RefHQ or By Rule?
By Rule is rated higher. RefHQ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while By Rule averages 5.0 from 20 ratings.
Do RefHQ or By Rule have ads?
Neither RefHQ nor By Rule shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RefHQ or By Rule?
RefHQ ships an update every 2 weeks, and By Rule every 3 weeks. Most recently, RefHQ was updated on June 1, 2026 and By Rule on June 5, 2026.

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