Comparison

18Birdies vs GolfView

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

18Birdies

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
Read full description

Play better golf from the first tee to the final putt. Featured by Apple as “The Best App for Golfers” and trusted by more than 10 million golfers, 18Birdies gives every player a smarter way to play, practice, compete, and improve. 18Birdies helps you know the distance, choose smarter shots, track every round, and understand where your game can improve. Get free GPS yardages on 45,000+ courses, keep score, follow your handicap, review your stats, and use Apple Watch tools to stay focused. Improve your swing with AI feedback, Instant Swing Playback, Golf School training, and expert coach reviews. FREE GOLF GPS, SCORECARD & STATS Know the distance before every shot. Get yardages to greens, hazards, layups, and carries on 45,000+ courses worldwide. Keep score, save round history, monitor your handicap, and use shot tracking and stats to improve your game. APPLE WATCH GOLF TOOLS Keep your phone in your bag. Use 18Birdies on Apple Watch for distances, scoring, shot tracking, and automatic swing detection. IMPROVE FASTER Improve your game faster with advanced swing tools built for real results. Upload swing videos to the AI Swing Analyzer for personalized feedback, fault detection, and drills to help you improve. Use Instant Swing Playback to review swings and understand what changed from swing to swing. Build better habits with Golf School drills and lessons designed to help you practice with purpose. For expert feedback, submit your swing to Pro Swing Analysis for a personalized review from a certified golf coach. PLAY WITH FRIENDS Golf is better with friends. Connect, share rounds, compare progress, and create competition with side games, team formats, leagues, tournaments, and live leaderboards. FREE FEATURES - GOLF GPS RANGEFINDER: Distances to greens, hazards, layups, carries, and more - DIGITAL SCORECARD: Track scores for every round - HANDICAP TRACKER: Follow your handicap trend - STATS & ROUND HISTORY: Track performance over time - SHOT TRACKING: Capture shots and learn more about your game - APPLE WATCH: Distances, scoring, and shot tracking - INSTANT SWING PLAYBACK: Review your swing during practice - GOLF COMMUNITY: Connect with friends, share rounds, and celebrate your best golf moments - TEAM MODE & SIDE GAMES: Play Scramble, Best Ball, Skins, Wolf, and more - TOURNAMENTS & LEAGUES: Create live leaderboards for group competition - COACH CONNECT: Share your game with your coach for feedback PREMIUM TOOLS Upgrade to 18Birdies Premium for advanced tools and deeper insights. Free trial available for eligible users after download. - PLAYS-LIKE DISTANCES: Account for conditions that affect true yardage - CLUB RECOMMENDATIONS: Get personalized club guidance - ADVANCED GPS TOOLS: Plan shots with more confidence - 3D GREEN & HEATMAPS: Read slopes, breaks, and green contours - ADVANCED STATS: Analyze your game with charts, filters, and comparisons - STROKES GAINED: See where you gain or lose strokes - SMART TRACKING & AUTO SWING DETECTION: Capture your round automatically with less manual input, with or without Apple Watch - AI SWING ANALYZER: Get personalized swing feedback from video - HD INSTANT SWING PLAYBACK: Review your swing with annotations and deeper analysis - GOLF SCHOOL: Unlimited training, drills, and lessons - SHOT TRACKING INSIGHTS: Understand distance, shape, and performance - PRO SWING ANALYSIS DISCOUNT: 25% off personalized swing reviews from certified coaches LEGAL 18Birdies Premium is an optional auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscription renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in App Store account settings. By using 18Birdies, you agree to Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ and our Terms of Service https://18birdies.com/legal/terms/ and Privacy Policy https://18birdies.com/legal/privacy-policy/.

About

GolfView

Features
Read full description

We work locally with your Golf Club to give you the ultimate golfing experience. Our 4K drone maps power the app's core features, improving your game, from performance to club engagement. Features: Drone Maps - Our drone fleet scan and map courses over 5 times more accurately than other major mapping providers. Shot Tracking - Log every shot and visualise it on your course map on the fly. Track each shot's club, accuracy, distance & cut. Drone Flyovers - Along with crystal clear maps, our fleet captures 4K footage of your course, giving you an aerial advantage. GPS Rangefinder - Harness our drone powered maps to give you the most accurate readings available through your mobile devices. Live Pin Positions - Our venues log any changes to the pin's location giving you the super accurate readings. Customisable Competitions - Create your own comps with friends or golf days. Longest Drive & Closest Pin modes - Utilise our shot tracking features to add flare to your competitions. Real-time Weather - Localised weather updates and view wind speed relative to your course map & on your Apple Watch. Live Scoring - As you enter your scores or track your shots, scorecards update in real-time and feed into our leaderboards. In-depth Statistics - Split your stats into 3 main segments; Rounds, Clubs & Holes. Collecting data from your scorecards & shot tracking gives you unparalleled insights into your game. Apple Watch Shot Tracking & Scoring - Keep phones in pockets, our watch face gives you all our best features in one simple interface. Enjoy Live Pins, Shot Tracking & Real-time Weather. Check back on your phone to see your scorecards & mapped shots. Venue Updates - Get news straight from the horse's mouth, via your home feed & push notifications. World Handicap System® Ready - Enter your Handicap Index and GolfView will work out your playing handicap each round. If we don't currently have your course in our database please let us know and we'll add them as an unofficial venue. To enjoy our full features at your home club, please refer them onto us!

Screenshots

18Birdies4 screens
GolfView3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GolfView at none against 18Birdies's 10. GolfView also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). 18Birdies's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price and update cadence 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. 18Birdies sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. GolfView asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
18Birdies versus GolfView: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter18BirdiesGolfView
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (307K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings307K — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size297 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer18Birdies LLCChris Forbes

Bugs and requests

18Birdies

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

7 requests
  • Automatic handicap calculation
  • Customizable home course stats
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to record scores for non-app users
  • Layup yardages and hazard distances
Show 2 more
  • Improved Apple Watch integration
  • Better social features and leaderboards

GolfView

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

18Birdies

Subscriptions8
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription WB$7.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial2 variants$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Subscription WB7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium Subscription7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year
None

GolfView

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 18Birdies free?
18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GolfView free?
GolfView is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do 18Birdies or GolfView have ads?
GolfView shows ads; 18Birdies does not.
Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or GolfView?
18Birdies ships an update weekly, and GolfView weekly. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on November 11, 2026 and GolfView on November 4, 2026.

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