# 18Birdies vs Rypstick

18Birdies and Rypstick both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of 18Birdies's written reviews are positive against 41% of Rypstick's. 18Birdies also leads on ratings volume (306K vs 1.9K) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Rypstick's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). 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 Rypstick sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

18Birdies holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 1.9K, 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 41% of Rypstick's.

18Birdies ships an update weekly, Rypstick every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18Birdies | Rypstick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (306K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rypstick/id6445889189/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **306K** | 1.9K |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 41.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 297 MB | 70 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) | [Rypstick Golf LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622055406) |

## What reviewers say

### 18Birdies

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Sports, #51 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


### Rypstick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rypstick/id6445889189)

Enhance your golf swing speed and distance with guided training protocols and swing fix videos. Track your progress with a baseline test and achieve longer drives and lower scores. Train conveniently from your phone.

**Highlights:** Baseline swing speed test, Guided training protocols, Swing fix videos, Distance tracking, Auditory release point training, Progress monitoring

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Plan | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Effective training tool
- 💪 Noticeable speed improvements
- 🤖 Helpful instructional videos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for full app access
- 🐛 Buggy app experience
- 📚 Unclear instructions
- 🤔 Inconsistent features

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to enter baseline speed
- Countdown disappearing during workouts
- Syncing issues between app and radar

**Requested features**

- Ability to track previous swing speeds
- Better integration with radar device
- Customizable training plans
- Beginner-friendly onboarding


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 18Birdies free?

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

### Is Rypstick free?

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

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

18Birdies is rated higher. 18Birdies averages 4.9 out of 5 from 306K ratings, while Rypstick averages 4.7 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do 18Birdies or Rypstick have ads?

Neither 18Birdies nor Rypstick shows ads.

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

18Birdies ships an update weekly, and Rypstick every 2 weeks. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on October 30, 2026 and Rypstick on October 27, 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.*