Comparison

Ref vs MatchDraft

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

MatchDraft

This app generates fair teams for casual sports games by balancing player skills and positions. It offers multiple drafting methods, visual team lineups on a pitch, and tracks match results and player form.

Highlights
  • Add players with skills, positions, and photos
  • Multiple team drafting methods (draw, pick, arrange)
  • Visual team lineups on a tactical pitch
  • Track match results and player form
  • Automatic iCloud backup
Features
Read full description

Same debate every week: who plays with whom? MatchDraft ends it and drafts fair teams for your kickabout in seconds. YOUR SQUAD • Add players once: skill stars, positions, photo or Memoji • Simple positions (GK, defence, midfield, attack, wing) or pro mode (LB, CB, CM, ST …) • Skill ratings are visible only to you, they never appear on shared images FAIR TEAMS IN THREE WAYS • DRAW: The draft balances skill, positions and goalkeepers, redraw with one tap • PICK: Two captains pick alternately, classic or snake draft • ARRANGE: Drag players straight onto the pitch yourself THE TACTICAL PITCH • Teams appear as a lineup on a real pitch, not as a list • Choose formations, swap and move players via drag & drop • Share the lineup as an image (without skill values) MATCHDAYS, RECORDS & FORM • Save results, browse your history and open the Stats tab: the season table across all players (games, wins, draws, losses), sortable and shareable as a graphic • Form rating 0 to 5, calculated purely from real team results, with a form curve per player. The perfect check on your gut feeling • Seasons with a start date of your choice: every season starts from zero, older ones stay around • Automatic backup to your own iCloud, and transfer your player list including photos to a new device FREE & PRO • Drawing, picking, arranging, entering results and sharing: free forever • MatchDraft Pro (one-time purchase): every matchday in your history, records across all matchdays and the form rating PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Everything stays on your device: no accounts, no tracking, no servers Draft. Play. Track.

Screenshots

Ref4 screens
MatchDraft4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ref at none against MatchDraft's 1. MatchDraft'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. MatchDraft sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ref asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ref ships an update every 3 weeks, MatchDraft every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Ref versus MatchDraft: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefMatchDraft
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSAMUEL LANE MADDOCKMichael Fischer

In-app purchases

None

Ref

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

MatchDraft

One-time1
  • MatchDraft Pro$3.99

Questions

Is Ref free?
Ref is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MatchDraft free?
MatchDraft is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ref or MatchDraft have ads?
Neither Ref nor MatchDraft shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ref or MatchDraft?
Ref ships an update every 3 weeks, and MatchDraft every 4 days. Most recently, Ref was updated on November 8, 2026 and MatchDraft on October 31, 2026.

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