Bad Elf Flex vs USGA DEACON®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bad Elf Flex
This utility app enhances the functionality of Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. It allows users to monitor hardware health, adjust settings, and update firmware. For the Flex model, it also enables the purchase and application of tokens for advanced features and correction sources like SBAS and RTK.
- Monitor GNSS receiver health
- Change hardware settings
- Perform firmware updates
- Purchase and load Flex Tokens
- Enable hardware-based features
- Access correction sources
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This is the free companion utility app for the flexible, intuitive, and affordable Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. Designed for GIS and survey professionals, the Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini connect to your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth and provide high-accuracy location data to ANY and ALL field data collection apps in your workflow. This app allows you to view the health of the Flex and Flex Mini hardware, change settings, and perform firmware updates. For the Bad Elf Flex, the app also supports purchasing and loading Flex Tokens into the hardware for enabling hardware-based features and correction sources. Several correction sources are supported including SBAS, RTK via NTRIP, and Atlas (L-band) satellite corrections. Visit https://bad-elf.com/ to learn more about the Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. NOTES: * This app requires a Bad Elf Flex or Flex Mini to operate. * Our "Bad Elf GPS" companion app supports our legacy mapping-grade receivers: Bad Elf GPS Pro, GPS Pro+, Surveyor, and GPS for Lightning dongle. * Continued use of the GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
USGA DEACON®
This golf course management system consolidates data from various tools to provide insights for superintendents and agronomists. It helps improve playing conditions, golfer satisfaction, and input management through precise daily readings and web-based analytics.
- Consolidated golf course data
- Insights from GS3 ball and Moisture Meter
- Improved playing conditions
- Enhanced golfer satisfaction
- Efficient input management
- Precise daily readings
- Web interface analytics and reporting
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The USGA DEACON app: the golf course management system that puts all of your data into one place. Offering comprehensive insights and data gathered from tools like the GS3 ball and the new USGA Moisture Meter, the DEACON management system enables superintendents and agronomists to deliver better playing conditions, improve golfer satisfaction and manage inputs efficiently. Record precise, daily readings instantly through the app and view extensive analytics and reporting on the corresponding web interface. Measure what matters.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bad Elf Flex at 40% against USGA DEACON®'s 0%. Bad Elf Flex also leads on device support (3 vs 1). USGA DEACON®'s advantage is rating (3.9 vs 3.6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
USGA DEACON® holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Bad Elf Flex's written reviews are positive against 0% of USGA DEACON®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Bad Elf Flex ships an update every 2 months, USGA DEACON® monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Bad Elf Flex | USGA DEACON® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (14 ratings) | 3.9 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bad Elf, LLC. | United States Golf Association |
Customer experience
Bad Elf Flex
USGA DEACON®
In-app purchases
Bad Elf Flex
No in-app purchases
USGA DEACON®
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bad Elf Flex free?
Is USGA DEACON® free?
Which has better reviews, Bad Elf Flex or USGA DEACON®?
Do Bad Elf Flex or USGA DEACON® have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bad Elf Flex or USGA DEACON®?
Other comparisons
