Golf Genius vs 18Birdies
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Golf Genius
This app enhances the golf experience by allowing live score entry, access to member portals with stats, and easy photo uploads for events. It also provides mobile access for club pros and league managers to event details and offers sponsorship branding opportunities.
- Live score entry
- Real-time leaderboards
- Member portal access
- Photo gallery uploads
- Event management for pros
- Sponsorship branding
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Registered Golf Genius players will find the free Golf Genius mobile app an exciting and useful addition to their golf experience. The app is also designed to reduce effort and save valuable time for the pro shop staff and league managers. Here are a few of the most important app functions: (1) Live score entry out on the course (scores can be entered by players or pro staff) that immediately updates full field leaderboards on large TV displays in the clubhouse and on the app itself; (2) access to the custom member portal where players can view tee sheets, results, statistics, etc.; (3) an easy and fast way to upload photos, creating photo galleries that add to the fun for any event; (4) mobile access for club pros and league managers to all events on the golf calendar, with dates, registrants, tee sheets, hole-by-hole scorecards, final results, etc.; (5) mobile, contextual branding exposure and messaging customized for corporate and charity outings sponsors, which translates into an attractive and differentiated “outings offer” and the opportunity for clubs hosting outings to maximize revenue. The Golf Genius mobile app is designed for both iPhone and iPad.
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.
- GPS Rangefinder
- Digital Scorecard
- Handicap Tracking
- AI Swing Analyzer
- Golf Community
- Shot Tracking
- 3D Green Maps
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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
Verdict
Golf Genius and 18Birdies both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of 18Birdies's written reviews are positive against 26% of Golf Genius's. 18Birdies also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#5 vs #97). Golf Genius's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Golf Genius asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Golf Genius against 4.9 for 18Birdies. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 76K and 306K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of Golf Genius's written reviews are positive against 74% of 18Birdies's.
Golf Genius ships an update every 3 weeks, 18Birdies weekly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Golf Genius | 18Birdies |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (76K ratings) | 4.9 (306K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | 73.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 76K | 306K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #97 | #5 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 297 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Golf Genius Software, Inc. | 18Birdies LLC |
Customer experience
Golf Genius
18Birdies
User reviews
Golf Genius
From 76K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Versatile and powerful
- 💡 Useful for groups
- 👍 Great app for tournaments
Room to improve
- 🐛 Barely functional
- 👎 Not easy to navigate
- 🐛 Entries disappear
- 🐛 App opens on wrong date
- 👎 Difficult to use
18Birdies
From 306K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate GPS
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful features
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Useful for improving game
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Yardages inaccurate on Apple Watch
- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 🐛 Difficult to use
- 🐛 Annoying referral prompts
Bugs and requests
Golf Genius
Reported bugs
4 issues- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Syncing problems between app and website
- Incorrect handicap calculations
- Scores not saving properly
Requested features
5 requests- Allow reorganizing player names
- Increase font size
- Add Apple Watch functionality
- Ability to cancel registrations
- Putt tracking feature
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 moreShow fewer
- Improved Apple Watch integration
- Better social features and leaderboards
In-app purchases
Golf Genius
No in-app purchases
18Birdies
- 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Weekly Premium Subscription$7.997 Days
- Weekly Premium Subscription WB$7.997 Days
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- 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 Genius free?
Is 18Birdies free?
Which has better reviews, Golf Genius or 18Birdies?
Do Golf Genius or 18Birdies have ads?
Which is updated more often, Golf Genius or 18Birdies?
Which is more popular, Golf Genius or 18Birdies?
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