Comparison

Goal Horn Hub Lite vs Ref Buddy

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

Head to head
About

Goal Horn Hub Lite

Experience the thrill of NHL™ hockey by playing authentic goal horn sounds from all 32 teams. Control the blasts and even play two horns simultaneously. Become your own goal horn operator and DJ with this soundboard app.

Highlights
  • Authentic NHL team goal horns
  • Control horn blasts by holding button
  • Play two goal horns simultaneously
  • Sound effects for after goals
  • Lite version with ads
Features
Read full description

This is the Lite version. To remove ads & unlock more goal horns and the goal song feature, consider upgrading to the full version of Goal Horn Hub. Ever wanted to press the goal horn button at a NHL™ hockey game? Ever wanted to be a DJ and play the goal song and sound effects after the goal horn button has been pressed? Introducing Goal Horn Hub! Goal Horn Hub includes authentic goal horn sounds of all the 32 NHL™ teams while having the ability to control the blasts of the goal horn by holding down the goal horn button. You also have the ability to control TWO goal horns at once. Channel your inner Goal Horn Operator and download Goal Horn Hub today!

About

Ref Buddy

This app helps sports officials manage their game assignments and track statistics. Assignors can easily schedule officials, while officials can view their upcoming games, accept or decline assignments, and access game details. It also features dedicated game chat and notifications for updates.

Highlights
  • Stat tracking
  • Game assignment scheduling
  • Accept/decline assignments
  • View assigned games
  • Game chat
  • Notifications for updates
  • Dark day setting
Features
Read full description

Ref Buddy makes managing your officiating schedule simple, organized, and connected. View upcoming assignments, confirm games, manage your availability, track expenses, submit game reports, and stay connected with your officiating community—all in one place. With Ref Buddy, officials can: - View and confirm game assignments - Keep track of upcoming games and schedules - Set availability and dark days - Put eligible assignments Up for Grabs when plans change - Browse and take available games from other officials - Track mileage and officiating expenses - Complete game and video reports - Connect with officials through Ref Room - Follow league scores, standings, playoffs, and statistics - Access important game, venue, team, and crew details League administrators can manage schedules, officials, assignments, reports, and other league settings directly through Ref Buddy’s connected platform. Available features may vary depending on your league’s configuration.

Screenshots

Goal Horn Hub Lite4 screens
Ref Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ref Buddy at 5.0 against Goal Horn Hub Lite's 3.8. Ref Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 68%). Goal Horn Hub Lite's advantage is ratings volume (170 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ref Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goal Horn Hub Lite has 170 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Goal Horn Hub Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ref Buddy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Goal Horn Hub Lite ships an update monthly, Ref Buddy every 2 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Goal Horn Hub Lite versus Ref Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoal Horn Hub LiteRef Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (170 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings170 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size144 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarson LougheedJonah Duckworth

Customer experience

Goal Horn Hub Lite

All ratings169 ratings
Positive72.2%
Neutral11.2%
Negative16.6%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive67.8%
Neutral13.9%
Negative18.3%

Ref Buddy

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Goal Horn Hub Lite

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Tampa Bay and St. Louis horns are switched
  • Certain horns and sound effects not working properly
  • App overheating issues on some devices
  • Glitches when trying to upload custom goal songs

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add goal songs
  • Include horns from other hockey leagues (AHL, ECHL, etc.)
  • Improve Toronto and Colorado horns
  • Add Utah Mammoth horn

Ref Buddy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Goal Horn Hub Lite

No in-app purchases

None

Ref Buddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Goal Horn Hub Lite free?
Goal Horn Hub Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ref Buddy free?
Ref Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Goal Horn Hub Lite or Ref Buddy?
Ref Buddy is rated higher. Goal Horn Hub Lite averages 3.8 out of 5 from 170 ratings, while Ref Buddy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Goal Horn Hub Lite or Ref Buddy have ads?
Goal Horn Hub Lite shows ads; Ref Buddy does not.
Which is updated more often, Goal Horn Hub Lite or Ref Buddy?
Goal Horn Hub Lite ships an update monthly, and Ref Buddy every 2 days. Most recently, Goal Horn Hub Lite was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ref Buddy on November 3, 2026.

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