# 18Birdies vs UPA Mobile

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 18Birdies at 74% against UPA Mobile's 0%. 18Birdies also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (306K vs 3). UPA Mobile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. UPA Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

18Birdies holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 18Birdies has 306K ratings behind it against 3, 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 0% of UPA Mobile's.

18Birdies ships an update weekly, UPA Mobile every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18Birdies | UPA Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (306K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upa-mobile/id6746707877/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **306K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | — |
| Size | 297 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [18Birdies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/955324369) | [Frank Alvarez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818036364) |

## What reviewers say

### 18Birdies

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

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Grossing · Sports, #64 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 (8)**

| 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 | $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


### UPA Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upa-mobile/id6746707877)

This official association app provides members with detailed match information and allows them to track qualifying matches for major events. It is free for all members and will continue to receive new features.

**Highlights:** Official UPA Association App, Extensive match information, Track qualifying matches, Vegas Qualifiers tracking, Free for members, Regular new feature additions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 18Birdies free?

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

### Is UPA Mobile free?

UPA Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 18Birdies or UPA Mobile?

18Birdies is rated higher. 18Birdies averages 4.9 out of 5 from 306K ratings, while UPA Mobile averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do 18Birdies or UPA Mobile have ads?

Neither 18Birdies nor UPA Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or UPA Mobile?

18Birdies ships an update weekly, and UPA Mobile every 2 weeks. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on November 11, 2026 and UPA Mobile on October 30, 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.*