Comparison

Chains vs ChainRanger

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

Head to head
About

Chains

This app helps disc golf players improve their putting skills through detailed tracking, structured drills, and engaging games. Log practice sessions, analyze statistics by distance, and create custom routines to make every putt count. It offers Apple Watch support for convenient logging.

Highlights
  • Log putts from any distance
  • Structured practice drills
  • Putting games for engagement
  • Custom practice session creation
  • Apple Watch logging
  • Detailed make percentage statistics
  • Progress tracking over time
Features
Read full description

Chains is the putting practice app for disc golfers who want to know if they're actually getting better. Log every putt, see your make percentage at every distance, and watch it improve over time. Practice in your backyard or at the course, from your iPhone or straight from your Apple Watch. PRACTICE YOUR WAY • Free Practice – log putts from any distance with one tap per make or miss • Four built-in drills – Ladder, Peak Finder, Lock-In and Progression give every session structure and pick up where you left off • JYLY – a scored putting game of 20 rounds from 5 to 10 metres. The more you make, the further back you go. Chase your best score, see your pace against it round by round and share your scorecard • Apple Watch – leave your phone in your bag, log putts or play JYLY from your wrist and set the distance with the Digital Crown SEE WHAT'S REALLY IMPROVING • Make percentage at every distance, from tap-ins to beyond Circle 2 • Trends over time for any distance – find out if your 30-footers are really dropping more often • Compare each drill with your last one, distance by distance • Filter by Circle 1, Circle 2 or a specific distance • Current and best make streaks • A full history of every session and putt SIMPLE BY DESIGN • Feet, meters or yards • Syncs between iPhone and Apple Watch with iCloud • No account or sign-up needed MADE BY A DISC GOLFER Chains is built by a solo developer and huge disc golf nerd who got tired of not knowing whether practice was paying off. Your feedback shapes every update – get in touch from the Settings screen. Start building a putting stroke you can trust.

About

ChainRanger

This app uses your phone's camera to instantly measure the distance to a disc golf basket, indicating whether it's uphill or downhill. It helps players understand putting rules and strategize throws based on elevation and distance.

Highlights
  • Real-time camera-based rangefinder
  • Measures distance in meters or feet
  • Detects uphill/downhill angles
  • Calculates plays-like distance with elevation
  • LiDAR assist for iPhone Pro models
  • Basket presets and custom dimensions
Read full description

ChainRanger turns your phone into a disc golf rangefinder. Point your camera at the basket and the on-device AI finds the chains and shows the distance instantly — in meters or feet, plus whether the basket sits uphill or downhill. No laser, no GPS waiting, no pacing it off. HOW IT WORKS • Aim your camera at the disc golf basket. • ChainRanger detects the basket in real time and calculates the distance. • A stabilized reading shows on screen. All image processing happens 100% on your phone. Camera frames are never uploaded anywhere. KNOW YOUR CIRCLES Distance to the basket is not just a number — it decides which rules and stats apply: • Circle 1 (C1) is everything within 10 meters (33 ft) of the basket. Inside Circle 1 the putting stance rule applies: after releasing the putt you may not step past your marker, you must show full balance behind it. ChainRanger tells you instantly whether you are inside the 10 m circle, so a borderline lie never catches you out. • Circle 2 (C2) reaches from 10 to 20 meters (33–66 ft). Putts made from here separate good rounds from great ones. • Parked, C1X and C2 are the stat categories that actually measure putting: Parked is inside 3.3 m (11 ft), C1X counts Circle 1 putts excluding parked tap-ins, and C2 covers the long range. When you know the exact distance, every putt goes into the right category. READ THE ELEVATION — AND WHAT IT PLAYS LIKE Distance alone doesn't tell the whole story: an uphill basket plays longer, a downhill one shorter — and because a disc glides, every meter of height changes the throw far more than in ball golf. ChainRanger reads your phone's tilt to show the up/downhill angle and the height difference, and Full Range adds the plays-like distance from a disc-flight model, so you can pick your disc and power with confidence. LIDAR ASSIST ON IPHONE PRO On LiDAR-equipped iPhones, ChainRanger fuses the scanner with the camera measurement for sharper readings at close range. LiDAR also unlocks tape-free calibration — dial in your camera and basket dimensions without a measuring tape. On other iPhones the app measures with the camera only. PERFECT FOR PUTTING PRACTICE Set up at exact distances for structured putting routines. Train at 5, 7 and 10 meters instead of guessing — and watch your C1X percentage climb. FREE AND FULL RANGE • Free: exact distance everywhere inside Circle 1 (10 m) — a complete putting trainer. Try Full Range with 10 free full-range readings. • Full Range (one-time purchase, no subscription): exact distance at all ranges, including Circle 2 and beyond, plus the plays-like distance on sloped holes. FEATURES • Real-time disc golf rangefinder using your camera • Distance to the basket in meters or feet • LiDAR assist on iPhone Pro models for close-range precision • Uphill/downhill angle and height difference to the basket • Plays-like distance on elevation, from a disc-flight model (Full Range) • Basket presets for PDGA-verified target models, or dial in custom dimensions • Calibrate at any known distance — the hole length from the tee sign will do • Three detection modes: Simple is the lightest, Pro sees the farthest, Balanced fits most iPhones best • Stabilized reading with a soft haptic tick when it settles • Hold button to freeze the reading • Magnifier zoom to reach far-away baskets • Supports multiple rear camera lenses with per-lens calibration • Smart exposure that locks onto the detected basket, tap to adjust • Power-saving mode and automatic heat protection for long sessions • Built-in guide with tips for getting the best readings • 100% on-device AI — works without a network connection GOOD TO KNOW • ChainRanger measures the distance from you to the basket. To measure the length of your throws, use a GPS measuring app or a laser rangefinder. • ChainRanger is a measuring aid for practice, casual rounds and competition. Grow your range. Find the chains. ChainRanger.

Screenshots

Chains4 screens
ChainRanger4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chains at none against ChainRanger's 1. Chains also leads on ratings volume (20 vs 2). ChainRanger's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. ChainRanger sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chains asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ChainRanger holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chains has 20 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chains ships an update every 9 days, ChainRanger every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chains versus ChainRanger: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChainsChainRanger
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (20 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings20 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGruffydd JohnstonRIKU-MATTI HEIKKI INNILA

Customer experience

Chains

All ratings20 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ChainRanger

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chains

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ChainRanger

One-time1
  • Full Range$12.99

Questions

Is Chains free?
Chains is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChainRanger free?
ChainRanger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chains or ChainRanger?
ChainRanger is rated higher. Chains averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while ChainRanger averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Chains or ChainRanger have ads?
Neither Chains nor ChainRanger shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chains or ChainRanger?
Chains ships an update every 9 days, and ChainRanger every 10 days. Most recently, Chains was updated on October 21, 2026 and ChainRanger on October 25, 2026.

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