Comparison

RefsWatch Dev vs MatchReel

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

Head to head
About

RefsWatch Dev

Features
Read full description

Companion app for use by team managers or referees and their assistants for recording a rugby game. The game can be displayed on a pitchside screen, publicly via the internet or by users of the app.

About

MatchReel

Automatically create broadcast-quality soccer highlight reels from your matches. Tag goals live on your Apple Watch and the app generates professional-looking videos with graphics and stats. Track player performance with advanced metrics.

Highlights
  • Automated highlight reel creation
  • Live goal tagging with Apple Watch
  • TV-style graphics and overlays
  • Player performance tracking (heart rate, speed, distance)
  • Season statistics and top scorer lists
  • Clip editing and sharing options
  • Privacy-focused with no data collection
Features
Read full description

Grassroots soccer, broadcast quality. Film your match with an iPhone or any camera. Tag goals live on your Apple Watch. MatchReel finds the moments by itself and cuts a finished highlight reel with TV-style graphics, an intro and a full-time card. No editing skills required. HOW IT WORKS 1. Set up a tripod and film the match with your iPhone or any other camera. 2. During the match, tag goals and highlights on your Apple Watch, with scorer and assist from your squad. No iPhone needed at the touchline. (Live capture also works directly on the iPhone.) 3. After the match, pick the video. MatchReel automatically matches every tagged moment to the footage and cuts the clips. YOUR HIGHLIGHTS, TV-STYLE • Score bar with the minute, scorer lower-third: the score changes at the exact moment of the goal • Intro with teams, kick-off time and live weather from the venue, full-time card with final score and list of scorers • Multiple overlay designs, from a modern broadcast look to retro-90s teletext, all with animated graphics like on TV • Your own team images and crests from your photos • Clip editor: timing, framing, zoom and a freely adjustable slow motion • Moving crop with keyframes: zoom and pan during a clip, and show one moment from several cameras • Share single clips, including 9:16 for WhatsApp status, Reels and TikTok • Portrait clips with keyframes: guide the 9:16 frame through the play while score and scorer animate in (Pro) • Share matches as a file with your team: no account, no cloud • Save storage: complete a match, keep the reel, delete the original MATCH TRACKING WITH APPLE WATCH Worth it even without a camera: the Watch tracks your match as a real football workout. • Heart rate, distance, top speed, sprints and GPS route, live from your wrist • Log the score and scorers right on your wrist • Season statistics with top scorers, trends and records • Home Screen widgets and Watch complications • Live Activity with the score in the Dynamic Island • Heatmap of your runs, sprint map and heart rate zones per match (Pro) PRIVATE BY PRINCIPLE No account, no servers, no data collection. Your videos stay in your Photos library, your health data stays in Apple Health. Full stop. MATCHREEL PRO (optional subscription) Full highlight reels (16:9 and 9:16 social), portrait clips with keyframes, 4K export, all overlay designs and watermark-free exports. Pro analytics: a heatmap of your runs, a sprint map with pace colours and heart rate zones. • Monthly with a 2-week free trial • Yearly with a 1-month free trial: a full month of real match days The price is shown in the App Store before purchase. The subscription renews automatically and can be cancelled anytime in your Apple account settings. Always free: live capture, statistics, watching all your highlights in the app and sharing single clips. Privacy: https://matchreel.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: https://matchreel.app · hallo@matchreel.app

Screenshots

RefsWatch Dev4 screens
MatchReel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RefsWatch Dev at none against MatchReel's 2. RefsWatch Dev also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). MatchReel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). 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. MatchReel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. RefsWatch Dev asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RefsWatch Dev ships an update every 4 months, MatchReel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
RefsWatch Dev versus MatchReel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefsWatch DevMatchReel
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMac BeaganMichael Fischer

In-app purchases

None

RefsWatch Dev

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MatchReel

Subscriptions2
  • MatchReel Pro Monatlich14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • MatchReel Pro Jährlich1 Month trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is RefsWatch Dev free?
RefsWatch Dev is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MatchReel free?
MatchReel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RefsWatch Dev or MatchReel have ads?
Neither RefsWatch Dev nor MatchReel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RefsWatch Dev or MatchReel?
RefsWatch Dev ships an update every 4 months, and MatchReel every 4 days. Most recently, RefsWatch Dev was updated on October 14, 2026 and MatchReel on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons