# 18Birdies vs LapCounter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LapCounter at none against 18Birdies's 14. 18Birdies's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 18Birdies sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. LapCounter asks for nothing beyond the download.

18Birdies ships an update weekly, LapCounter every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18Birdies | LapCounter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (306K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18birdies-golf-gps-tracker/id892700751/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **306K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 297 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [18Birdies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/955324369) | [Scott Clayton](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878096057) |

## What reviewers say

### 18Birdies

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Sports, #51 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 (9)**

| 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 W | $19.99 | 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


### LapCounter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lapcounter/id6766758571)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 18Birdies free?

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

### Is LapCounter free?

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

### Do 18Birdies or LapCounter have ads?

Neither 18Birdies nor LapCounter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 18Birdies or LapCounter?

18Birdies ships an update weekly, and LapCounter every 5 months. Most recently, 18Birdies was updated on October 30, 2026 and LapCounter on October 25, 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.*