Comparison

RugbyRef 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

RugbyRef

Features
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Rugby Ref makes every referee decision make sense. Whether you're new to rugby or a lifelong fan, Rugby Ref connects you to live matches and explains every whistle in real time — in plain English, with context that makes sense to American sports fans. FOR FANS • Join a live match with a 6-character game code, or discover games happening near you • Get instant notifications when the referee makes a call • Read clear explanations of all 86+ rugby infractions — what happened, why it's a penalty, and what happens next • Follow the score, match clock, cards, and substitutions live • Try Demo Mode to explore the app without a live match FOR HOSTS • Broadcast referee calls to your audience in real time • Speak the call — voice recognition matches it to the infraction database • Or browse and select calls by category: Penalty, Free Kick, Scrum, and more • Set up teams with custom names, colors, and rosters for player-level attribution • Generate a game code fans can use to tune in from anywhere LEARN THE GAME • Plain-language explanations written for fans raised on football, basketball, and hockey • Understand scrums, rucks, mauls, advantage, and every card — as they happen Download Rugby Ref and never lose the thread of the match again.

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. 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

RugbyRef4 screens
Soccer Ref4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RugbyRef at none against Soccer Ref's 2. RugbyRef also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 days) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). 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. Soccer Ref sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. RugbyRef asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RugbyRef ships an update daily, Soccer Ref every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
RugbyRef versus Soccer Ref: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRugbyRefSoccer Ref
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDINK Productions LLCDhrumil Shah

In-app purchases

None

RugbyRef

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Soccer Ref

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

Questions

Is RugbyRef free?
RugbyRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Soccer Ref free?
Soccer Ref is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RugbyRef or Soccer Ref have ads?
Neither RugbyRef nor Soccer Ref shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RugbyRef or Soccer Ref?
RugbyRef ships an update daily, and Soccer Ref every 4 days. Most recently, RugbyRef was updated on October 25, 2026 and Soccer Ref on October 29, 2026.

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