Ref vs Scorebug
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ref
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Ref-Vision captures a referee’s match on Apple Watch and iPhone: GPS, heart rate, speed, distance, match clock, event taps, and sideline video, all heading to one game on your Ref-Vision account. Start the watch at kick-off. Put the iPhone on a tripod if you want film. The watch is built to be glanced at, not stared at. Large buttons, haptics, and an always-on clock. APPLE WATCH • Start at kick-off: one workout records GPS and heart rate for the whole appointment, including half-time • Match clock with half-time, second half, and full-time • Live heart rate, speed, distance, and GPS lock • Four large event buttons by default: Foul, Yellow, Red, Goal • Extra buttons (Advantage, Stoppage, Injury, Sub, Penalty, and more) from a second page if you enable them on iPhone • Undo the last event with a swipe • Sessions are saved on the watch first, then sent to iPhone automatically. No network required during the match IPHONE • Live glance of clock, heart rate, distance, and last event while the watch is recording • Finished sessions arrive from the watch automatically • Review distance, heart rate, and events after the match; edit or delete a mis-tap • Attach the session to a game, or create one, then upload to your Ref-Vision account • Sign in once with the same email code you use on ref.vision • Customise which event buttons appear on the watch and push the layout across RECORD • New Record tab for sideline match film from a tripod-mounted iPhone • Checks before you start: phone on its side (landscape), on the tripod, and on a power bank • Ultra-wide (0.5x) so the pitch fills the frame; 1080p by default, 4K if you want it • Built for a full match — keep the app open and don’t lock the phone • Recordings stay on this iPhone first, even with no signal • Attach or create a game, then upload. We’ll start processing the film onto that game soon • Watch capture and phone film can run together: movement and events on the watch, video on the phone AFTER UPLOAD Watch sessions land on your game with GPS, heart rate, and event tags. Phone film is uploaded from the app; after we process it, it appears on the same game at ref.vision. Attach footage and set one sync offset so movement, heart rate, and watch events line up with the film together. Capture works without an account. Upload to Ref-Vision requires sign-in. Ref-Vision records referee performance (location, heart rate, and optional sideline video). It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice. Requires a compatible Apple Watch for GPS, heart rate, and event capture. Video recording uses iPhone. Designed for referees at every level.
Scorebug
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Scorebug turns your phone into a sideline scorekeeper that produces broadcast-quality scoreboard overlays for your match footage. Stop scrubbing through hours of video trying to remember when each score happened. Tap the score on your phone as the match unfolds, end the match when the final whistle goes, and Scorebug emails you a transparent overlay video. Drop it onto your footage in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Clipchamp and your match cut is graded with on-screen scores in minutes. SUPPORTED SPORTS - Gaelic football, hurling, camogie, ladies football - Soccer - Rugby union - Field hockey - Basketball - Ice hockey - American football - Baseball More sports coming soon. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick your sport, set up the teams and start the clock when the camera rolls. 2. Tap the score from the sideline as it happens. Pause, resume, and edit any tap if you misclick. 3. End the match. Scorebug builds a transparent ProRes 4444 overlay (.mov) and a VP9 alpha overlay (.webm) and emails them to you within minutes. 4. Drag the overlay onto your timeline above the match footage. Done. WHO IT IS FOR Club videographers, freelance match-day editors, school and university media teams, semi-pro and amateur production crews who want broadcast-style scores on their cuts without the post-production grind. WHAT YOU GET - Transparent ProRes 4444 .mov for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve - VP9 alpha .webm for web edits and Clipchamp - 1920x1080, frame-accurate to your tap timing - Stoppage time, pause and resume, period transitions handled automatically - Editable score log in case you misclick PRICING The free tier produces a watermarked overlay so you can try the full pipeline before paying. The Pro upgrade is a one-off in-app purchase that removes the watermark and unlocks unlimited matches forever. No subscriptions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ref at none against Scorebug's 1. Scorebug's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.4). 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
Both are free to download. Scorebug sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ref asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Ref | Scorebug |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SAMUEL LANE MADDOCK | Kevin Fox |
In-app purchases
Ref
No in-app purchases
Scorebug
- Scorebug Pro$14.99








