RefKick vs REF!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RefKick
This professional tool helps football referees manage matches efficiently by tracking time, scores, and disciplinary actions. It supports multi-referee collaboration and provides detailed match timelines and running heatmaps for post-match analysis. Designed for ease of use on Apple Watch and iPhone, it ensures reliable officiating.
- Match timing with added time calculation
- Score tracking with goal cancellation
- Disciplinary recording (yellow/red cards)
- Multi-device integration for referee roles
- Automatic match event timeline generation
- Running heatmap visualization
- Apple Watch optimized interface
Read full descriptionHide full description
RefKick — A Match Tool for Football Referees RefKick is a professional match control application designed specifically for football referees. It helps referees efficiently manage time, scores, and disciplinary events during matches and supports multi-referee collaboration. With simplicity and reliability as its core design philosophy, RefKick emphasizes fast interaction and clear presentation, making it an ideal officiating tool on the field. Match Timing: Start, pause, and resume match time Clear display of minutes and seconds Automatic management of pauses and added time Haptic feedback for key match events Suitable for halftime and full-time control Score Tracking: Records home and away team goals Supports goal cancellation to avoid recording errors One-click operation to reduce distraction Clear visual confirmation for every operation Disciplinary Recording: Instantly records yellow and red cards Supports reversing incorrect calls Clear color differentiation for quick identification Strong haptic feedback to prevent accidental operation Multi-device Integration: Supports referee, assistant referee, and fourth official roles Real-time synchronization of match status across multiple devices Showcase of linesman flag via Apple Watch Vibration alerts the referee Improves collaboration efficiency and reduces verbal and visual communication costs Match Timeline: Automatically generates a complete match event timeline Clearly records key moments such as goals, yellow cards, and red cards Quickly review the match afterward Provides reliable data for debriefing and recording Running Heatmap: Records the referee's running trajectory based on the match process Visualizes on-field activity heatmaps Helps referees analyze positioning and coverage Provides reference for fitness management and officiating improvement Designed specifically for Apple Watch: Optimized for smaller screens Large buttons, operable even with gloves High-contrast dark interface, adaptable to the stadium environment Minimalist navigation, focused on match usage scenarios Companion App for iPhone: Provides complete match control and viewing functions For pre-match settings, post-match review, and data viewing View running heatmaps and heart rate graphs after the match to help you plan your fitness effectively Seamless integration with Apple Watch for a consistent experience Sports data synced to Health, making every workout traceable Privacy and Reliability: No account registration required No ads
REF!
Read full descriptionHide full description
REF! is the ultimate app for football referees. Create the match, invite your crew and run it from the watch. No paper, no fuss. BEFORE THE MATCH - Create the match with teams, competition, ground, date and time. - Save your teams and the grounds you visit most. - Competitions with their own refereeing and travel fees. - Choose whether you're the referee or an assistant. - History for every team: how many times you've officiated them and how those matches ended. - A countdown to your next match in the widget, the Live Activity and your watch face. - A calendar event, created automatically. ON THE PITCH, FROM YOUR APPLE WATCH - Period timer: set how many periods, how long each one lasts and how long the break is. - Haptic alert when time is up, with added time and a warning if the break runs over. - Choose which team kicks off at the start of each period. - Goals with the scorer's shirt number. - Yellow and red cards, for players and for team staff - Substitutions with the numbers coming on and off. - A match summary on your wrist the moment you blow the final whistle. - Tournament mode to chain matches with their own timings and fees without leaving the watch. - Create a match on the watch itself if your appointment changes at the last minute. - Leave the app or let the screen sleep — the match picks up where you left it. AFTER THE MATCH - Distance covered, sprints, top speed, heart rate, calories and steps. - A heat map of your position over real imagery of the pitch, in satellite or pitch view. - Effort zones calculated from your maximum heart rate. - A full match report: goals, cards, minutes and substitutions across every period. YOUR SEASON - Stats across every season and any date range. - A complete history of teams, competitions and grounds. - Matches as referee and as assistant, counted separately. PAYMENTS - Total paid and total outstanding for the season, always in view. - Breakdown by competition and by month, with a per-match average. - Refereeing and travel fees kept separate. - A one-page annual PDF report and a CSV with one row per match, for your association or your tax return. - Mark matches as paid one by one or all at once. WITH YOUR CREW - Find other referees by name or @nickname and add them as friends. - Invite them to a match: they get a notification and accept it from their inbox. - The match syncs between all three of you in real time. - A combined heat map and stats for the whole refereeing team. - Your own profile with an avatar and nickname. AND ALSO - Everything synced through iCloud between iPhone and Apple Watch. - Backups you can export and import. - Works without a signal: whatever you record on the pitch is sent as soon as you're back online. - Tutorials for the app and the watch, plus a quick-start guide. - Match alerts and reminders. REF! PRO Core features are free. REF! PRO unlocks physical performance, full stats, payment reports, shared matches and tournament mode. €2.99/month or €16.99/year, with the first month free on the annual plan. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can manage yours in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://therefapp.es/en/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://therefapp.es/en/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RefKick at none against REF!'s 2. REF!'s advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. REF! sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. RefKick asks for nothing beyond the download.
RefKick ships an update every 3 weeks, REF! weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RefKick | REF! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 千淞 颜 | Rodrigo Vicente Valmorisco |
In-app purchases
RefKick
No in-app purchases
REF!
- REF! PRO Monthly$2.991 Month
- REF! PRO Yearly$14.991 Year








