# 18Birdies vs GOLFBUDDY

The clearest difference is rating: 18Birdies at 4.9 against GOLFBUDDY's 2.5. 18Birdies also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 45%) and ratings volume (306K vs 32). GOLFBUDDY's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. GOLFBUDDY asks for nothing beyond the download.

18Birdies holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of 18Birdies's written reviews are positive against 45% of GOLFBUDDY's.

18Birdies ships an update weekly, GOLFBUDDY every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18Birdies | GOLFBUDDY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (306K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751/reviews)** | [2.5 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golfbuddy/id1204752595/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **306K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 44.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 297 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [18Birdies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/955324369) | [GolfzonCloud Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/581874257) |

## What reviewers say

### 18Birdies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Sports, #40 Top Free · Sports (US App Store)

This app provides advanced GPS technology and game improvement tools for golfers. It offers personalized training, AI swing analysis, and a community to connect with friends and compete. Improve your game with detailed stats and course insights.

**Highlights:** GPS Rangefinder, Digital Scorecard, Handicap Tracking, AI Swing Analyzer, Golf Community, Shot Tracking, 3D Green Maps

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 18Birdies Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium Subscription | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium Subscription WB | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| 18Birdies Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Subscription W | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription WB | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate GPS
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful features
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Useful for improving game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Yardages inaccurate on Apple Watch
- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 🐛 Difficult to use
- 🐛 Annoying referral prompts

**Reported bugs**

- Yardages not syncing correctly between watch and phone
- Inability to save rounds or enter scores
- Incorrect course information and tee box layouts
- Frequent crashes and performance issues

**Requested features**

- Automatic handicap calculation
- Customizable home course stats
- Dark mode option
- Ability to record scores for non-app users
- Layup yardages and hazard distances


### GOLFBUDDY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golfbuddy/id1204752595)

Enhance your golf game with this GPS app that tracks your statistics and provides course insights. Easily review scorecards, visualize progress with graphs, and pinpoint shot locations for detailed analysis. Improve your play with a digital caddie in your pocket.

**Highlights:** Intuitive UI, Scorecard review, Statistics graphing, Distance to green, Shot location saving, Detailed shot records

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 18Birdies free?

18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is GOLFBUDDY free?

GOLFBUDDY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 18Birdies or GOLFBUDDY?

18Birdies is rated higher. 18Birdies averages 4.9 out of 5 from 306K ratings, while GOLFBUDDY averages 2.5 from 32 ratings.

### Do 18Birdies or GOLFBUDDY have ads?

Neither 18Birdies nor GOLFBUDDY shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or GOLFBUDDY?

18Birdies ships an update weekly, and GOLFBUDDY every 3 weeks. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on November 1, 2026 and GOLFBUDDY on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*