Comparison

Golf Caddy vs 18Birdies

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

Head to head
About

Golf Caddy

This app uses satellite GPS to map golf courses, providing precise distances to your target. It helps golfers choose the right club with confidence by offering clear yardage information.

Highlights
  • Satellite GPS course mapping
  • Pinpoint target distance
  • Pinch to zoom and pan
  • Display in meters or yards
  • Club selection confidence
Features
Read full description

***As featured on Todays Golfer*** Golf Caddy provides satellite GPS course mapping for any course telling you how far to your pinpointed target, with pinch to zoom and panning. Distance can be displayed in either Meters or Yards. With all of this information being easily available to you, this brings you the confidence to hit the right club. All you have to do is swing.

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

Golf Caddy4 screens
18Birdies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: 18Birdies at 4.9 against Golf Caddy's 4.1. 18Birdies also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (306K vs 44). Golf Caddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Golf Caddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

18Birdies holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Golf Caddy's written reviews are positive against 74% of 18Birdies's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Golf Caddy ships an update every 5 months, 18Birdies weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Golf Caddy versus 18Birdies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGolf Caddy18Birdies
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (44 ratings)4.9 (306K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews73.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings44306K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank—#6 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB297 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApplorium Ltd18Birdies LLC

Customer experience

Golf Caddy

All ratings43 ratings
Positive79.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative18.6%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

18Birdies

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

Bugs and requests

Golf Caddy

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

None

Golf Caddy

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

18Birdies

Subscriptions8
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription WB$7.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$9.991 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 Golf Caddy free?
Golf Caddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 18Birdies free?
18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Golf Caddy or 18Birdies?
18Birdies is rated higher. Golf Caddy averages 4.1 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while 18Birdies averages 4.9 from 306K ratings.
Do Golf Caddy or 18Birdies have ads?
Neither Golf Caddy nor 18Birdies shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Golf Caddy or 18Birdies?
Golf Caddy ships an update every 5 months, and 18Birdies weekly. Most recently, Golf Caddy was updated on November 1, 2026 and 18Birdies on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons