# Pickleball Referee App vs Pickleball Journal+

The clearest difference is rating: Pickleball Journal+ at 4.6 against Pickleball Referee App's 3.9. Pickleball Referee App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pickleball Journal+ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Pickleball Referee App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pickleball Journal+ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 9 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Pickleball Referee App ships an update every 3 days, Pickleball Journal+ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pickleball Referee App | Pickleball Journal+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pickleball-referee-app/id1666312041/reviews) | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pickleball-journal-plus/id6744711454/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 53 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pickleball TopCo LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1649936841) | [PCO Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801613989) |

## What reviewers say

### Pickleball Referee App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pickleball-referee-app/id1666312041)

This app streamlines pickleball tournament management and officiating. It offers features like live scoring, customizable fields, and on-screen timers, eliminating the need for paper score sheets. It also integrates with popular tournament platforms and provides advanced statistics.

**Highlights:** Tournament information management, Integration with tournament platforms, Streamlined match reporting, Live and training modes, Realistic screen layout, On-screen timers, Video challenge feature

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pickleball Journal+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pickleball-journal-plus/id6744711454)

This app helps pickleball players track games, stats, and equipment. It allows users to log match details, monitor performance trends, and manage their gear. Advanced analytics and expense tracking are available with a Pro subscription.

**Highlights:** Log match scores, partners, and opponents, Track game types and court locations, Monitor paddle usage and equipment status, Detailed analytics dashboard (Pro), Expense tracking for pickleball investments (Pro), Apple Watch companion for quick tracking, Curated resources for pickleball improvement

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pickleball Journal Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pickleball Journal Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pickleball Referee App free?

Pickleball Referee App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pickleball Journal+ free?

Pickleball Journal+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pickleball Referee App or Pickleball Journal+?

Pickleball Journal+ is rated higher. Pickleball Referee App averages 3.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Pickleball Journal+ averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do Pickleball Referee App or Pickleball Journal+ have ads?

Neither Pickleball Referee App nor Pickleball Journal+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pickleball Referee App or Pickleball Journal+?

Pickleball Referee App ships an update every 3 days, and Pickleball Journal+ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pickleball Referee App was updated on November 7, 2026 and Pickleball Journal+ on November 8, 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.*