Silbato vs SocRef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Silbato
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Transform your soccer refereeing with Silbato, the innovative app designed to enhance every aspect of officiating, from local children's matches to veterans' leagues. Silbato is more than just an app; it's a revolution in the way soccer games are managed, offering an array of features that empower referees like never before. With Silbato, you can take advantage of advanced timekeeping, score tracking, comprehensive match histories, and an in-depth understanding of football rules. Designed with referees in mind, Silbato makes match management seamless and efficient, allowing you to concentrate on the game and ensuring players' enjoyment. Key Features: Match Rules Alignment: Access rules aligned with official football associations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Advanced Match Scheduling: Program your games in advance for optimal preparedness. Score and Time Tracking: Maintain accurate score and time records effortlessly. Comprehensive Match History: Review details of past matches at your convenience. Silbato is committed to enriching the refereeing experience, providing a platform that's easy to use and tailored to the needs of referees at all levels. Whether you're using your smartphone or our smartwatch companion app, Silbato is your ultimate match day companion, designed to increase your comfort and confidence on the field. Join the community of referees who are already experiencing a more streamlined and focused game day. Embrace the future of football refereeing with Silbato, where technology and tradition meet to support the beautiful game.
SocRef
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**The digital match companion built for soccer referees. Track every goal, card, and substitution in real time—on your iPhone or Apple Watch.** ## MATCH MANAGEMENT Create games in seconds. Set team names, jersey colors, half durations (15–45 min), halftime break, extra time, and penalty shootout options. Import assignments directly from Assignr by pasting from the clipboard—SocRef reads the format automatically and fills in the details, including age-appropriate half durations (7v7, 9v9, 11v11). Browse your upcoming and past games in one list, sorted by closest kickoff. Tap any game to jump back into a live match or review the final record. --- ## LIVE MATCH TRACKING Start the timer and let SocRef handle the rest. The match clock runs through 1st Half → Halftime → 2nd Half → Extra Time → Penalties. Add stoppage time on the fly. Pause, resume, and manually advance periods whenever you need to. Log events as they happen: - Goals — with optional player name - Yellow cards — with reason and player - Red cards — with reason and player - Substitutions — player on, player off Every event is timestamped to the minute and saved instantly. Your data survives app backgrounding and device restarts. **1-Minute Alert** — SocRef sends a haptic notification 1 minute before each period ends, whether the Watch screen is on or off. Never lose track of time during a match. --- ## APPLE WATCH COMPANION Control the match from your wrist. The Watch app stays in sync with your iPhone in real time—score, period, timer, card counts. Record goals, cards, and substitutions without taking your phone out. Perfect for when you're on the pitch and your hands are full. **Two-way sync** — Changes made on the Watch (score, cards, team names, match config) are automatically pushed back to the iPhone. The watch is always the source of truth for an active match. Edit a game on the watch, and the iPhone game list updates the moment they reconnect. --- ## EVENT LOG & EXPORT Review the full event timeline after the whistle. Export the complete match record as JSON—ready for your records, your organization, or your own analysis. --- ## SUPPORTER FEATURES — GPS & MOTION TRACKING Support development and unlock advanced referee fitness tools: - **Motion Tracking** — Steps, distance, cadence, and heart rate via Apple Watch. Runs as a live workout in Apple Health (soccer activity type). - **GPS Tracking** — Records your movement across the pitch at configurable intervals (every 10, 30, or 60 seconds). - **Movement Heatmap** — Calibrate the field corners with GPS, and SocRef generates a color-coded heatmap showing where you spent the most time. Identify positioning patterns and improve your coverage. - **Per-Period Breakdown** — Distance, steps, and heart rate stats for each match period, exportable in full. Supporter purchases are voluntary. Any tier—Tip, Coffee, Latte, or Lunch—unlocks all of the above. HealthKit and Core Motion usage is disclosed in the GPS & Motion Tracking section footer on the Game Setup screen. --- BUILT FOR THE PITCH - Dark theme throughout—readable in any light - Works fully offline - Automatic two-way sync between iPhone and Watch - Large, high-contrast controls for fast input mid-match - Haptic alerts at key moments (1-minute warning, period transitions) --- *SocRef is made by referees, for referees.*
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Verdict
Silbato and SocRef are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Silbato sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per year and SocRef sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Silbato ships an update every 2 weeks, SocRef every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.
| Parameter | Silbato | SocRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christophe Snacken | Xiangdong Zhang |
In-app purchases
Silbato
- Year subscription Pro$5.991 Year
SocRef
- Tip$0.99
- Buy a Coffe$2.99
- Buy a Latte$4.99
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- Buy a Lunch$12.99









