Comparison

Expert Golf vs 18Birdies

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

Head to head
About

Expert Golf

Instantly resolve on-course golf rules confusion with this interactive reference. Utilize virtual referee assistance to understand relief procedures and gain an advantage. Features 3D graphics, animations, and videos for clear, practical guidance.

Highlights
  • Instant rules resolution
  • 3D image rulings
  • Interactive relief finder
  • Animated illustrations and videos
  • Stroke play and match play rules
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

▸ GOLF DIGEST wrote: “Image rulings in 3-D on every possible on-course conundrum.” ▸ WALL STREET JOURNAL wrote: “An essential resource for solving any in-game confusion.” ▸ GOLF MAGAZINE wrote: “Simply choose where your ball lies and the object you want relief from, and iGolfrules instantly directs you to the correct ruling.” ▸ OFFICIALLY recommended by Apple; one of the world’s most popular sport apps (in the App Store top ten continually for many years). iGolfrules by Expert Golf provides the answers to your rules questions in a matter of seconds. You have a virtual referee constantly at your side who helps you to use the golf rules to your benefit and utilize all the relief procedures available. Why Expert Golf is better ▸ User-friendly and intuitive operation (a manual is superfluous). ▸ You find the right solution with a maximum of 3 clicks. ▸ More than 200 graphics, animated illustrations and videos. ▸ Focuses on practical situations and is easy-to-understand. ▸ Contains the rules for stroke play and match play. ▸ An interactive help tool tells you instantly whether you are entitled to free relief. ▸ Excellent customer ratings and top rankings in the App Store. ▸ Leading app for many years and improved with regular updates. The application is based on “Golf Rules Quick Reference”, a multi-award winning international bestseller, which has been translated into over 20 languages and has sold more than 2.5 million copies. Conforms to USGA/ R&A rules valid as of 2023 (including free updates until the next rules revision). If you are happy with our app we would be grateful if you would take a moment of your time to post a rating/ write a review in the App Store. If, for whatever reason, you are not happy with the app or have any questions about it please contact our support team at support@expertgolf.com.

About

18Birdies

This app provides advanced GPS technology and game improvement tools for golfers. It offers personalized training, AI swing analysis, and a community to connect with friends and compete. Improve your game with detailed stats and course insights.

Highlights
  • GPS Rangefinder
  • Digital Scorecard
  • Handicap Tracking
  • AI Swing Analyzer
  • Golf Community
  • Shot Tracking
  • 3D Green Maps
Features
Read full description

Play better golf from the first tee to the final putt. Featured by Apple as “The Best App for Golfers” and trusted by more than 10 million golfers, 18Birdies gives every player a smarter way to play, practice, compete, and improve. 18Birdies helps you know the distance, choose smarter shots, track every round, and understand where your game can improve. Get free GPS yardages on 45,000+ courses, keep score, follow your handicap, review your stats, and use Apple Watch tools to stay focused. Improve your swing with AI feedback, Instant Swing Playback, Golf School training, and expert coach reviews. FREE GOLF GPS, SCORECARD & STATS Know the distance before every shot. Get yardages to greens, hazards, layups, and carries on 45,000+ courses worldwide. Keep score, save round history, monitor your handicap, and use shot tracking and stats to improve your game. APPLE WATCH GOLF TOOLS Keep your phone in your bag. Use 18Birdies on Apple Watch for distances, scoring, shot tracking, and automatic swing detection. IMPROVE FASTER Improve your game faster with advanced swing tools built for real results. Upload swing videos to the AI Swing Analyzer for personalized feedback, fault detection, and drills to help you improve. Use Instant Swing Playback to review swings and understand what changed from swing to swing. Build better habits with Golf School drills and lessons designed to help you practice with purpose. For expert feedback, submit your swing to Pro Swing Analysis for a personalized review from a certified golf coach. PLAY WITH FRIENDS Golf is better with friends. Connect, share rounds, compare progress, and create competition with side games, team formats, leagues, tournaments, and live leaderboards. FREE FEATURES - GOLF GPS RANGEFINDER: Distances to greens, hazards, layups, carries, and more - DIGITAL SCORECARD: Track scores for every round - HANDICAP TRACKER: Follow your handicap trend - STATS & ROUND HISTORY: Track performance over time - SHOT TRACKING: Capture shots and learn more about your game - APPLE WATCH: Distances, scoring, and shot tracking - INSTANT SWING PLAYBACK: Review your swing during practice - GOLF COMMUNITY: Connect with friends, share rounds, and celebrate your best golf moments - TEAM MODE & SIDE GAMES: Play Scramble, Best Ball, Skins, Wolf, and more - TOURNAMENTS & LEAGUES: Create live leaderboards for group competition - COACH CONNECT: Share your game with your coach for feedback PREMIUM TOOLS Upgrade to 18Birdies Premium for advanced tools and deeper insights. Free trial available for eligible users after download. - PLAYS-LIKE DISTANCES: Account for conditions that affect true yardage - CLUB RECOMMENDATIONS: Get personalized club guidance - ADVANCED GPS TOOLS: Plan shots with more confidence - 3D GREEN & HEATMAPS: Read slopes, breaks, and green contours - ADVANCED STATS: Analyze your game with charts, filters, and comparisons - STROKES GAINED: See where you gain or lose strokes - SMART TRACKING & AUTO SWING DETECTION: Capture your round automatically with less manual input, with or without Apple Watch - AI SWING ANALYZER: Get personalized swing feedback from video - HD INSTANT SWING PLAYBACK: Review your swing with annotations and deeper analysis - GOLF SCHOOL: Unlimited training, drills, and lessons - SHOT TRACKING INSIGHTS: Understand distance, shape, and performance - PRO SWING ANALYSIS DISCOUNT: 25% off personalized swing reviews from certified coaches LEGAL 18Birdies Premium is an optional auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscription renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in App Store account settings. By using 18Birdies, you agree to Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ and our Terms of Service https://18birdies.com/legal/terms/ and Privacy Policy https://18birdies.com/legal/privacy-policy/.

Screenshots

Expert Golf4 screens
18Birdies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 18Birdies at Free against Expert Golf's $19.99. 18Birdies also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). Expert Golf's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

18Birdies is free to download; Expert Golf costs $19.99 up front. Expert Golf sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and 18Birdies sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

18Birdies holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Expert Golf's written reviews are positive against 74% of 18Birdies's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expert Golf ships an update every 5 months, 18Birdies weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Expert Golf versus 18Birdies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpert Golf18Birdies
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating2.5 (32 ratings)4.9 (306K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.4% of reviews73.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings32306K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank—#6 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size329 MB297 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGolf Rules Made Easy18Birdies LLC

Customer experience

Expert Golf

All ratings32 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral3.1%
Negative59.4%
Written reviews260 reviews
Positive55.4%
Neutral6.5%
Negative38.1%

18Birdies

All ratings306,033 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews1,352 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral8.6%
Negative17.7%

Bugs and requests

Expert Golf

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

18Birdies

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Yardages not syncing correctly between watch and phone
  • Inability to save rounds or enter scores
  • Incorrect course information and tee box layouts
  • Frequent crashes and performance issues

Requested features

7 requests
  • Automatic handicap calculation
  • Customizable home course stats
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to record scores for non-app users
  • Layup yardages and hazard distances
Show 2 more
  • Improved Apple Watch integration
  • Better social features and leaderboards

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Expert Golf

One-time7
  • Expert Golf – Score card for one year$9.99
  • Expert Golf – Tips$9.99
  • Expert Golf – iGolfrules 2012–2015$9.99
Show 4 more
  • iGolfrules 2016–2018$9.99
  • iGolfrules 2019$14.99
  • Expert Golf – GPS for one year$19.99
  • iGolfrules 2023$19.99
9 purchases

18Birdies

Subscriptions9
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription WB$7.997 Days
Show 6 more
  • Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Subscription W7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial2 variants$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Subscription WB7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium Subscription7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Expert Golf free?
Expert Golf costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is 18Birdies free?
18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Expert Golf or 18Birdies?
18Birdies is rated higher. Expert Golf averages 2.5 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while 18Birdies averages 4.9 from 306K ratings.
Do Expert Golf or 18Birdies have ads?
Neither Expert Golf nor 18Birdies shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Expert Golf or 18Birdies?
Expert Golf ships an update every 5 months, and 18Birdies weekly. Most recently, Expert Golf was updated on October 31, 2026 and 18Birdies on November 3, 2026.

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