Comparison

Ref vs MatchReel

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

Head to head
About

Ref

Features
Read full description

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.

About

MatchReel

Automatically create broadcast-quality soccer highlight reels from your matches. Tag goals live on your Apple Watch and let the app edit the footage with TV-style graphics. Track your performance with detailed stats and share clips easily.

Highlights
  • Automated highlight reel editing
  • Live goal and highlight tagging
  • Apple Watch integration for live stats
  • TV-style graphics and overlays
  • Clip editing and sharing
  • Performance tracking and season statistics
  • 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 • Drag-and-drop lineups with shirt numbers, optionally as an animated lineup clip after the intro • 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

Ref4 screens
MatchReel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ref at none against MatchReel's 2. MatchReel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MatchReel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Ref asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ref ships an update every 3 weeks, MatchReel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Ref versus MatchReel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefMatchReel
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSAMUEL LANE MADDOCKMichael Fischer

In-app purchases

None

Ref

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MatchReel

Subscriptions2
  • MatchReel Pro Monthly14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • MatchReel Pro Yearly1 Month trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Ref free?
Ref is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MatchReel free?
MatchReel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ref or MatchReel have ads?
Neither Ref nor MatchReel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ref or MatchReel?
Ref ships an update every 3 weeks, and MatchReel every 4 days. Most recently, Ref was updated on November 8, 2026 and MatchReel on November 7, 2026.

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