Comparison

GHIN vs GolfSoftware.com

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

Head to head
About

GHIN

Track your golf scores, analyze your game statistics, and utilize GPS course maps with advanced features. This official app helps golfers manage their handicaps and compete with friends.

Highlights
  • Score Posting
  • Stat Tracking
  • Course Maps & GPS
  • Handicap Calculator
  • Group Score Keeping
  • Apple Watch Integration
Features
Read full description

GHIN is the app built for golfers by the USGA — post scores, track your Handicap Index®, play with GPS, and see the stats that show how your game is trending. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Post scores and track stats — Update your Handicap Index by posting total or hole-by-hole scores, with the option to track fairways, greens in regulation, and putts. • Play a round with GPS: simplified setup, richer course graphics, one-handed scoring, or switch to a simple digital Scorecard if you'd rather skip GPS • See your game in the new Stats section: recent trends, score history, hole-by-hole, advanced stats, and course-specific performance • Set up and play fair matches against other golfers with a Handicap Index — including front nine / back nine / overall results • Compete on virtual leaderboards through Challenges, at select courses through your Allied Golf Association • Play hands-free — track your whole round right from your Apple Watch GETTING STARTED & UPGRADES • Start with a Free Trial: post 3 scores to get an Estimated Handicap Range, and continue posting for 30 days after that • Enhanced GPS is available as a premium upgrade — Green Maps and front/back yardages on your phone, plus hazard and layup yardages on Apple Watch. • Membership through an Allied Golf Association is required for full app functionality Terms of Service - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy - https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/Handicap-ghin/ghin-privacy-policy.html

About

GolfSoftware.com

Manage golf leagues and tournaments with this comprehensive app. Features include online score input, automated reporting, player registration, and live leaderboard tracking. Simplify event setup and enhance player enjoyment.

Highlights
  • League management console
  • Tournament management
  • Online score input
  • Live leaderboard
  • Automated reporting
  • Online player registration
  • Course database
Features
Read full description

The Golf Software app serves as your golfers’ companion golf apps to League Manager (golf league), Tournament Manager (golf tournament software), and Handicap System (golf handicap) for groups, clubs and golf courses by GolfSoftware.com. In addition, the Golf Software app provides live golf leaderboard capability during golf league and golf tournament play. League Manager: Our cloud-based League Manager provides an administrator’s console for managing a league and a dedicated league website for players. League Manager enables league secretaries and league golfers to save time and effort running and participating in a golf league and increases the enjoyment factor for all. What does League Manager do for you and your golf group? ► simplifies your league management tasks ► allows you to set up your league with minimal effort ► reduces your time spent on league management to a minimum ► lowers the hurdle for your group to recruit subsequent league secretaries ► provides your league information automatically to players via a dedicated website ► enables online score input by your players, designated league officials or one league secretary ► equips your group with the capacity for online league membership registration ► provides an option for online collection of league dues Easy pre-season setup puts you on near auto-pilot for rest of season ► create a new season’s league by importing your players, scores, point and handicap settings from last season, or create new season’s league from scratch ► select your league’s results report(s) which will automatically appear on your league website once scores are posted and an event finalized ► select your league’s course(s) from a course database or manually input course(s) ► set your league schedule ► add multiple league secretaries (administrators) to take over when you’re absent, or to share duties Simple, 3 recurring event-related steps ► Pre-event – manage pairings and substitutes; print scorecards and pairings sheet; etc. ► Play – input scores during or after play ► Post-event – close and finalize event to trigger automatic reports on league website Tournament Manager: With Tournament Manager your group can run any kind of golf tournament: ► Individual, team or both types of competition ► Scrambles ► Best ball ► Eclectic ► Stableford ► Gross and net ► and many more… Features for Tournament Manager include… ► Select courses from 20,000+ course database ► Send your members to included tournament website ► Provide online registration / sign up ► Build randomized pairings automatically (foursomes, threesomes, etc.) ► Automatically flight players ► Set tee times for regular start or start hole for shotgun ► Print scorecards ► Post scores in a variety of ways including by golfers on smartphones ► Watch competition progress on live leaderboard from any device ► Select a results report appropriate to your play format ► Determine and post results to your group’s Tournament Manager website ► Include any tournament on season leaderboard for cumulative statistics ► Manage tournaments from any device connected to Internet ► Integrates with Handicap System Handicap System: Handicap System includes three golf handicap modes: USGA, RCGA and Custom. The program stores and computes handicaps on whatever schedule you would like or that is stipulated by the handicap type. ► Post scores by administrator or player ► Transfer scores from Tournament Manager ► Create roster(s) of players ► Select a handicap mode for each roster ► Auto schedule handicap update (“revision”) ► View exactly how a player’s handicap is calculated ► Assign multiple administrators ► Auto post reports to your group’s included handicap/tournament mobile friendly website ► Most improved golfer report ► Integrates with Tournament Manager

Screenshots

GHIN4 screens
GolfSoftware.com2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GolfSoftware.com at 80% against GHIN's 25%. GolfSoftware.com also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). GHIN's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (21K vs 27). 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. GHIN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. GolfSoftware.com asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GHIN holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GHIN has 21K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of GHIN's written reviews are positive against 80% of GolfSoftware.com's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GHIN ships an update every 3 weeks, GolfSoftware.com every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
GHIN versus GolfSoftware.com: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGHINGolfSoftware.com
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (21K ratings) — better3.9 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21K — better27
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#22 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size248 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUnited States Golf AssociationGolfSoftware.com

Customer experience

GHIN

All ratings20,679 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews276 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative58.3%

GolfSoftware.com

All ratings24 ratings
Positive70.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

GHIN

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Scorecard data not syncing properly between devices
  • Inability to end rounds early and post partial scores
  • GPS distances not updating correctly on Apple Watch
  • Course data not loading consistently

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow customization of tracked stats
  • Implement landscape mode support
  • Integrate with Apple Health/Activity
  • Improve handicap calculation accuracy

GolfSoftware.com

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GHIN

Subscriptions1
  • Upgrade to GHIN Enhanced GPS$49.991 Year
None

GolfSoftware.com

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GHIN free?
GHIN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GolfSoftware.com free?
GolfSoftware.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GHIN or GolfSoftware.com?
GHIN is rated higher. GHIN averages 4.7 out of 5 from 21K ratings, while GolfSoftware.com averages 3.9 from 27 ratings.
Do GHIN or GolfSoftware.com have ads?
Neither GHIN nor GolfSoftware.com shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GHIN or GolfSoftware.com?
GHIN ships an update every 3 weeks, and GolfSoftware.com every 6 weeks. Most recently, GHIN was updated on November 12, 2026 and GolfSoftware.com on November 2, 2026.

Other comparisons