GHIN vs Simple Handicap
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Score Posting
- Stat Tracking
- Course Maps & GPS
- Handicap Calculator
- Group Score Keeping
- Apple Watch Integration
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This is the official mobile app of the Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN), a service offered by the USGA to golf associations worldwide. Key features include: • Score Posting (Total Score, Hole-by-Hole Score and Hole-by-Hole Score with Stats) • Stat Tracking (Number of Putts, Approach Shot Accuracy and Driving Accuracy) • Course Maps & GPS • Enhanced GPS Features (Putt Break Map, Approach Shot Heat Map, Shot Tracking) • Games & Group Score Keeping • Apple Watch integration • Golfer Lookup • Handicap Calculator 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
Simple Handicap
Track your golf handicap index for free with this easy-to-use application. It calculates your handicap based on the World Handicap System and allows you to log rounds and favorite courses. Ideal for everyday golfers seeking a simple way to manage their game.
- Free handicap tracking
- World Handicap System (WHS) compliant
- Course handicap calculation
- Add favorite courses
- Log golf rounds
- Easy to use interface
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Best golf handicap tracker! Simple Handicap was made for the common golfer that wants to learn and track their handicap index without paying for any services. It will also calculate course handicaps. Simple Handicap is free and very easy to use. Enter your favorite courses and add rounds as you go! Based on the World Handicap System (WHS). Simple Handicap is not associated with GHIN or the USGA in general. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
GHIN and Simple Handicap both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Simple Handicap's written reviews are positive against 26% of GHIN's. GHIN's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (21K vs 382). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. GHIN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year and Simple Handicap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for GHIN against 4.7 for Simple Handicap. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GHIN has 21K ratings behind it against 382, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of GHIN's written reviews are positive against 82% of Simple Handicap's.
GHIN ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple Handicap fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GHIN | Simple Handicap |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (21K ratings) — better | 4.7 (382 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 26.1% of reviews | 81.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 21K — better | 382 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #28 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 359 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | United States Golf Association | Nicholas Breetz |
Customer experience
GHIN
Simple Handicap
User reviews
GHIN
From 21K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Reliable GPS and course data
- 👍 Handicap tracking and management
- 💡 Green contour and heat maps
- 🚀 Efficient score entry and posting
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and disconnections
- 🔌 Poor Apple Watch integration and performance
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find desired features
- 🔋 High battery drain when using GPS
Simple Handicap
From 382 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Straightforward interface
- 👍 Accurate handicap calculations
- 🚀 Simple and efficient
- 💰 Free to use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Handicap not calculating correctly for some users
- 🔍 Unable to find/add certain golf courses
- 🔒 Concerns about credit card requirement and data privacy
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
Simple Handicap
Reported bugs
2 issues- Scores disappearing after being entered
- Login/account issues for some users
Requested features
3 requests- Add ability to enter Stableford scores
- Include course tee information
- Provide handicap trend/history visualization
In-app purchases
GHIN
- Upgrade to GHIN Enhanced GPS$49.991 Year
Simple Handicap
- Simple Handicap Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
- Simple Handicap Pro (Yearly)$7.991 Year
