Comparison

18Birdies vs GolfXplore

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

GolfXplore

Discover and explore golf courses across South Africa with detailed information, special offers, and upcoming events. Track your golfing achievements and connect with other players. This app simplifies planning your next golf tour.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive golf course directory
  • Detailed course information
  • Green fee insights
  • Membership options
  • Special offers and events
  • User reviews and ratings
  • Golfing conquest tracking
Features
Read full description

Discover golf courses across South Africa, all in one place. GolfXplore makes it easy for golfers to explore courses, compare green fees, view facilities, and access important course information without endless searching or phone calls. Whether you're planning a golf trip, looking for a new course to play, or tracking the courses you've conquered, GolfXplore gives you direct access to the information you need. Features Explore golf courses across South Africa View green fees and membership information Access contact details and facilities Discover specials and upcoming events Browse course photos and reviews Track the courses you’ve played Save your favourite courses Built for golfers who love discovering new courses. Golf Course Owners Want to showcase your course on GolfXplore? We’d love to hear from you. Contact the GolfXplore team at admin@golfxplore.com.

Screenshots

18Birdies4 screens
GolfXplore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GolfXplore at none against 18Birdies's 14. GolfXplore also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 74%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). 18Birdies's advantage is ratings volume (306K vs 4) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, ads 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 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. GolfXplore asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for 18Birdies against 5.0 for GolfXplore. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of GolfXplore's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

18Birdies ships an update weekly, GolfXplore monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
18Birdies versus GolfXplore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter18BirdiesGolfXplore
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (306K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings306K — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size297 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer18Birdies LLCGolfXplore (Pty) Ltd

Customer experience

18Birdies

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

GolfXplore

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

GolfXplore

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

18Birdies

Subscriptions9
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium Subscription WB$7.997 Days
Show 6 more
  • Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 18Birdies Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Subscription W7 Days trial$19.991 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

GolfXplore

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 18Birdies free?
18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GolfXplore free?
GolfXplore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 18Birdies or GolfXplore?
GolfXplore is rated higher. 18Birdies averages 4.9 out of 5 from 306K ratings, while GolfXplore averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do 18Birdies or GolfXplore have ads?
Neither 18Birdies nor GolfXplore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or GolfXplore?
18Birdies ships an update weekly, and GolfXplore monthly. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on November 1, 2026 and GolfXplore on October 16, 2026.

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