# Shot Pattern vs Course Vaults

The clearest difference is monetization model: Course Vaults at free against Shot Pattern's free with in-app purchases. Course Vaults also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 67%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Shot Pattern's advantage is ratings volume (2.1K vs 148) and update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shot Pattern sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Course Vaults sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 Shot Pattern against 4.8 for Course Vaults. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shot Pattern has 2.1K ratings behind it against 148, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Shot Pattern's written reviews are positive against 90% of Course Vaults's.

Shot Pattern ships an update every 3 days, Course Vaults weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shot Pattern | Course Vaults |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shot-pattern-golf-gps/id6447127454/reviews) | [4.8 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/course-vaults/id6749086127/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 148 |
| Positive reviews | 67.3% of reviews | **90.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#96** | — |
| Size | 105 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Undaunted Athlete LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1116731366) | [Andreoni-Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828711409) |

## What reviewers say

### Shot Pattern

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shot-pattern-golf-gps/id6447127454)

**Currently charting:** #96 Top Grossing · Sports (US App Store)

Visualize your actual shot dispersion on any golf hole before you swing. This app helps you choose smarter targets, avoid hazards, and improve your scores by showing where your ball is likely to land based on your club and target. It also offers predictive analytics and detailed shot tracking for performance improvement.

**Highlights:** Personal shot dispersion overlay on hole imagery, Strokes gained predictor for club/target choices, Shot tracking and detailed strokes gained stats, 40,000+ courses with GPS and green maps, Launch monitor data integration, USGA/R&A compliant

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Month Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| One Month Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| One Month Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Six Month Subscription | $74.99 | per 6 months |
| One Year Subscription | $99.00 | per year |
| One Year Subscription | $99.00 | per year |
| Green Maps Add On - Single Course | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent course preview and strategy planning
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Ability to import launch monitor data
- 🚀 Constant app improvements and new features
- 👍 Helpful for course management and lowering scores

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with GPS tracking and shot entry during rounds
- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs causing loss of shot data
- 🤔 Manual shot entry too time-consuming for some users
- 🤔 Lack of on-course shot tracking

**Reported bugs**

- GPS not accurately showing hole orientation
- Course boundaries not saving properly
- Subscription issues and difficulty cancelling
- Lack of UK golf course support

**Requested features**

- Ability to toggle between carry and total distances
- Option to see optimal target lines
- Scorecard view with strokes gained data
- Personal bests tracking
- Web/desktop version of the app


### Course Vaults

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/course-vaults/id6749086127)

Track, rate, and rank every golf course you've played. Discover top courses through honest player reviews and build personalized lists of your favorites. This app serves as a digital golf passport for serious players.

**Highlights:** Log every golf course played, Rate and rank courses personally, Discover courses via player ratings, Build bucket lists and collections, Follow other golfers' rankings, No ads or paid placements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Course Vaults Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| Course Vaults Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Seasonal | $23.99 | per 3 months |
| Founding Member | $44.95 | per year |
| Course Vaults Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro+ Annual | $54.99 | per year |
| Course Vaults Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best golf review site
- 👍 Highly recommended
- 👍 Awesome app with great features
- 👍 Clean and user-friendly layout
- 👍 Fantastic way to find new courses


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shot Pattern free?

Shot Pattern is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Course Vaults free?

Course Vaults is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shot Pattern or Course Vaults?

Shot Pattern and Course Vaults are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.1K and 148 ratings respectively.

### Do Shot Pattern or Course Vaults have ads?

Neither Shot Pattern nor Course Vaults shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shot Pattern or Course Vaults?

Shot Pattern ships an update every 3 days, and Course Vaults weekly. Most recently, Shot Pattern was updated on October 15, 2026 and Course Vaults on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*