Comparison

18Birdies vs SurfersCompass

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

SurfersCompass

This app offers expert-led surf training programs focusing on fitness, strength, mobility, and breathwork. Improve your technique, build mindset, and enhance endurance with structured video sessions and drills for all skill levels.

Highlights
  • Structured video training
  • Surf fitness and strength programs
  • Mindset and breathwork sessions
  • Technique improvement drills
  • Expert surf coaching
Features
Read full description

Surfers Compass is your all-in-one surf training app designed to help you level up your surfing—whether you're a beginner or an experienced rider. Access expert-led surf coaching programs that combine surf fitness, surf strength, surf mobility, and breathwork to improve every aspect of your performance in and out of the water. Explore a wide range of surf workouts, surf drills, and surf movement sessions tailored to your goals. Enhance your surf technique with step-by-step breakdowns, build your mindset with focused sessions, and improve your breath control for better endurance in the water. Whether you're looking to boost your paddling power, nail your bottom turns, or stay calm under pressure, Surfers Compass is your ultimate guide to becoming a better surfer. Features: Structured video training for all levels (Beginner to Advanced) Categories including Surf Coaching, Surf Strength, Mindset, Breathwork, and more Expert tips to improve your surfing technique and performance Improve your Surfing on Every Level World class Surf coaching - At your fingers tips Surf Technique. Movement. Breath. Mindset By downloading this app you accept SurfersCompass's privacy policy and terms of use. https://surfersgym.orderofn.com/privacy-policy/ https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

18Birdies4 screens
SurfersCompass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SurfersCompass at 100% against 18Birdies's 74%. 18Birdies's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly) and chart position (#6 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and SurfersCompass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

18Birdies ships an update every 6 days, SurfersCompass fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
18Birdies versus SurfersCompass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter18BirdiesSurfersCompass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (306K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings306K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank#6 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size296 MB44 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer18Birdies LLCOrderOfN Solutions

Customer experience

18Birdies

All ratings305,700 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews1,348 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral8.6%
Negative17.7%

SurfersCompass

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

SurfersCompass

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
2 purchases

SurfersCompass

Subscriptions2
  • Premium for Monthly Membership$9.991 Month
  • Premium for Yearly Membership$79.991 Year

Questions

Is 18Birdies free?
18Birdies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SurfersCompass free?
SurfersCompass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do 18Birdies or SurfersCompass have ads?
Neither 18Birdies nor SurfersCompass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or SurfersCompass?
18Birdies ships an update every 6 days, and SurfersCompass fortnightly. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on October 23, 2026 and SurfersCompass on October 6, 2026.

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