Comparison

Whistlr vs Soccer Ref

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

Head to head
About

Whistlr

Features
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Whistlr — The referee's smart game timer Whistlr turns your Apple Watch into a purpose-built match clock for anyone officiating a sport played in timed periods. No more juggling a stopwatch and a phone — set up your game once, then run it from your wrist. Built for officials, coaches, and referees of every sport If it's played in periods, Whistlr can time it. Soccer, rugby, basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, American football, Australian football, cricket, lacrosse, handball, volleyball, water polo— and anything else with a clock. Two timers at once Every period shows elapsed time large and time remaining small, so you always know exactly where you are in the half. A subtle haptic taps you on the wrist when the period overruns— no more glancing down for the buzzer. Configure once, remember forever • 2, 3, or 4 periods — auto-labelled as halves, thirds, or quarters • Period length: 5 to 50 minutes • Half time / break length: 1 to 20 minutes, with optional different lengths per break (ideal for basketball-style short quarter breaks and a longer halftime) • Extra time: up to 4 additional periods of 5–30 minutes each • Stop Clock: double-tap to pause the period when play is dead (great for ice hockey and basketball) All settings persist between games — the next time you open Whistlr, everything is exactly as you left it. Track your shift like an athlete With Track Workout on, Whistlr records the match as a HealthKit workout — live heart rate, calories burned, distance covered, and average heart rate. Choose the workout type that matches the sport you're officiating from 14 supported activities, including a dedicated HIIT option for interval-style officiating. Results sync to Apple Health and appear in your Activity rings. Designed for the watch Long-press to end a period. Long-press to end halftime early. Tap a single green START button and go. Every interaction is one-handed, glanceable, and built for the touchline. iPhone companion The iPhone app includes a full user guide, plus quick links to request features and report bugs directly to the developer. Whistlr is referee-built — for anyone, any level, any sport. Subscription Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/whistlr/subscription-policy Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/whistlr/privacy-policy

About

Soccer Ref

Features
Read full description

The referee's stopwatch and notebook, on your Apple Watch. Set up the match on your iPhone, send it to your wrist, and keep your eyes on the game. No watch with you? Run the match from your iPhone: big clock, goals, cards and subs in a few taps, alerts and a live clock on your Lock Screen. On your wrist • Big, glanceable match clock with stoppage time • Stop and restart the clock in one tap • Goals, cautions, send-offs and substitutions, with player numbers on the Digital Crown • Card reasons with U.S. Soccer codes (UB, DT, PI…) or FA codes (C1–C7, S1–S7) • A second yellow is recorded as a send-off automatically • Optional sin bins with a countdown that only runs while the ball is in play • Haptic alerts at full time, when stoppage time is up, and every 5 minutes if you want • Undo for any mistake • Keeps running with your wrist down, and restores the match if the app is closed On your iPhone • Today's matches sent to your watch in advance, next one first • Match reports with a minute-by-minute timeline, shared as text or PDF • League misconduct reports written for every card: add the player's name and what happened, then copy the statement • A heatmap of where you ran, with sprints, top speed and time in each third • Fee, mileage and parking for every match, with what you're still owed and your mileage allowance for the tax year • Season totals: matches, minutes, goals, cards and distance • Your own fitness for each half: distance and heart rate, saved to Apple Health Reliable sync Reports go from your watch to your iPhone and are resent until they arrive, so you never retype a score. Accessible Works with VoiceOver, Larger Text, Dark Mode, Reduce Motion and Differentiate Without Color. Try 3 matches free. Soccer Ref Pro unlocks unlimited matches, misconduct reports, the heatmap and your season's earnings and tax export, as a monthly or yearly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel them in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dhrumil09.github.io/soccer-ref/privacy.html

Screenshots

Whistlr2 screens
Soccer Ref4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Soccer Ref at every 4 days against Whistlr's every 9 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Whistlr sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year and Soccer Ref sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whistlr ships an update every 9 days, Soccer Ref every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Whistlr versus Soccer Ref: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhistlrSoccer Ref
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.226.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteven ClarkDhrumil Shah

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Whistlr

Subscriptions1
  • Free Trial1 Month trial$4.991 Year
2 purchases

Soccer Ref

Subscriptions2
  • Soccer Ref Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Soccer Ref Pro (Yearly)$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Whistlr free?
Whistlr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Soccer Ref free?
Soccer Ref is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Whistlr or Soccer Ref have ads?
Neither Whistlr nor Soccer Ref shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whistlr or Soccer Ref?
Whistlr ships an update every 9 days, and Soccer Ref every 4 days. Most recently, Whistlr was updated on October 28, 2026 and Soccer Ref on November 6, 2026.

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