# 18Birdies vs SmoothSwing

The clearest difference is update cadence: 18Birdies at every 6 days against SmoothSwing's monthly. 18Birdies also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 50%) and ratings volume (306K vs 12K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and SmoothSwing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for 18Birdies against 4.8 for SmoothSwing. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 12K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of 18Birdies's written reviews are positive against 50% of SmoothSwing's.

18Birdies ships an update every 6 days, SmoothSwing monthly. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18Birdies | SmoothSwing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (306K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751/reviews)** | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smoothswing/id1514586439/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **306K** | 12K |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 50.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 296 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [18Birdies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/955324369) | [Thomas Turnbull](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514586438) |

## What reviewers say

### 18Birdies

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Sports, #43 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


### SmoothSwing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smoothswing/id1514586439)

This app offers a real-time golf shot tracer that visually tracks your ball's flight path. It also provides advanced GPS features, including club distance assistance and slope-adjusted yardage, to help you play smarter on the course.

**Highlights:** Real-time shot tracer, 360 Golf GPS, Club Assistant, PLAYS LIKE Distance (Slope Adjusted Distance), Elevation Change measurement

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SmoothSwing Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate shot tracer
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 One-time purchase for pro version
- 🚀 Impressive performance for a free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent ball tracking, especially for high-speed shots
- 🔋 Overheating issues in hot weather
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable performance for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Shot tracer not working after purchasing pro version
- GPS and map features not functioning properly
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Inability to track certain ball colors

**Requested features**

- Ability to upload and trace pre-recorded videos
- Landscape mode support
- More customization options for the shot tracer
- Improved range finder with clearer visuals


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 18Birdies free?

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

### Is SmoothSwing free?

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

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

18Birdies is rated higher. 18Birdies averages 4.9 out of 5 from 306K ratings, while SmoothSwing averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do 18Birdies or SmoothSwing have ads?

Neither 18Birdies nor SmoothSwing shows ads.

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

18Birdies ships an update every 6 days, and SmoothSwing monthly. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on October 23, 2026 and SmoothSwing on October 23, 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.*