# 18Birdies vs SurfCheck

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SurfCheck at none against 18Birdies's 10. SurfCheck also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). 18Birdies's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. SurfCheck asks for nothing beyond the download.

18Birdies ships an update weekly, SurfCheck every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18Birdies | SurfCheck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (307K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **307K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 297 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [18Birdies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/955324369) | [Code-Remote B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1617989193) |

## What reviewers say

### 18Birdies

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Sports, #55 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 (8)**

| 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 | $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


### SurfCheck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfcheck/id1625490032)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 18Birdies free?

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

### Is SurfCheck free?

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

### Do 18Birdies or SurfCheck have ads?

Neither 18Birdies nor SurfCheck shows ads.

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

18Birdies ships an update weekly, and SurfCheck every 5 weeks. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on November 12, 2026 and SurfCheck on November 7, 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.*