Comparison

18Birdies vs Access by Troon

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

Access by Troon

Book tee times at Troon-managed golf courses and earn rewards. Features include mobile check-in, secure payments, and group invitations. An optional premium subscription offers exclusive rates and benefits.

Highlights
  • Book tee times across Troon's golf network
  • Mobile check-in
  • Secure payment processing
  • Invite friends to your group
  • Earn rewards points for bookings
  • Access Premium subscription for exclusive benefits
Features
Read full description

Troon® is the world’s largest professional club management company. Access by Troon is the easiest way for golfers to find and book tee times across Troon’s network of resort and daily-fee courses, with convenient features like mobile check-in, secure payment, and the ability to invite friends to your group. Every round booked through Access earns points redeemable for free or discounted tee times at participating golf courses. Upgrade to Access Premium for exclusive rates, guest passes, automatic status upgrades, and faster rewards earning. Play more, earn more, and experience golf’s most rewarding booking app with Access by Troon.

Screenshots

18Birdies4 screens
Access by Troon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: 18Birdies at 4.9 against Access by Troon's 3.5. 18Birdies also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 42%) and ratings volume (307K vs 34). Access by Troon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. Access by Troon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

18Birdies holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 307K ratings behind it against 34, 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 42% of Access by Troon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

18Birdies ships an update weekly, Access by Troon fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
18Birdies versus Access by Troon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter18BirdiesAccess by Troon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (307K ratings) — better3.5 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews — better41.7% of reviews
Number of ratings307K — better34
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size297 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer18Birdies LLCTroon Golf, LLC

Customer experience

18Birdies

All ratings306,033 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews1,352 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral8.6%
Negative17.7%

Access by Troon

All ratings34 ratings
Positive61.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative38.2%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative58.3%

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

Access by Troon

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

Access by Troon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 18Birdies free?
18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Access by Troon free?
Access by Troon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 18Birdies or Access by Troon?
18Birdies is rated higher. 18Birdies averages 4.9 out of 5 from 307K ratings, while Access by Troon averages 3.5 from 34 ratings.
Do 18Birdies or Access by Troon have ads?
Neither 18Birdies nor Access by Troon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or Access by Troon?
18Birdies ships an update weekly, and Access by Troon fortnightly. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on November 11, 2026 and Access by Troon on November 4, 2026.

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