Review · Outdoors & sports
18Birdies review
A free golf GPS, scorecard and handicap app with shot tracking, social games and a Premium tier that adds plays-like yardages, 3D green maps and AI swing feedback.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 9, 2026
- Performance (40%)
- 9.2
- Ease of use (25%)
- 9.0
- Value (35%)
- 8.6
18Birdies is the broadest free golf app we compared. The free version gives GPS yardages to greens, hazards, layups and carries on more than 45,000 courses, along with scoring, saved round history, handicap tracking, shot tracking and stats. It also leans into group play: Scramble, Best Ball, Skins and Wolf formats, plus tournaments, leagues and live leaderboards that a regular foursome can run from their phones. Premium, $99.99 a year or $19.99 a month on the vendor's site, adds plays-like distances that account for slope, wind, rain, temperature and altitude, 3D green maps from StrackaLine, club recommendations, advanced stats with filters, and unlimited use of the AI Swing Analyzer. An Apple Watch app handles distances, scoring and automatic swing detection. The trade-off is price: Premium costs more than Golf Pad, SwingU Plus or TheGrint Pro, and a golfer who only wants yardages may never need it.
Who it is for
Most golfers who want free yardages on almost any course plus scoring, side games and stats in one phone app.
Price
Free plan; Premium $99.99 a year (about $8.33 per month), $19.99 a month or $7.99 a week; 7-day free trial on yearly and monthly.
$99.99 / Year
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.
Key features
- Free GPS yardages to greens, hazards, layups and carries on 45,000+ courses
- Scoring, handicap tracking, round history and shot tracking
- Side games and team formats such as Scramble, Best Ball, Skins and Wolf, plus leagues and live leaderboards
- Premium adds plays-like distances for slope, wind, rain, temperature and altitude
- Premium adds 3D green maps from StrackaLine, advanced stats and the AI Swing Analyzer
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: The free tier covers GPS, scoring, handicap and stats
- Strength: The largest course count in our comparison at 45,000+
- Strength: Strong group features for leagues, tournaments and side games
- Weakness: Premium is one of the pricier yearly plans at $99.99
- Weakness: Plays-like yardages and green maps need Premium
- Weakness: The app bundles swing training and social tools some golfers will not use
Key facts
- Courses: 45,000+
- Free plan: Yes, GPS, scoring and handicap
- Paid plan: Premium $99.99/yr or $19.99/mo
- Free trial: 7 days
- Wearables: Apple Watch
Where it ranks
18Birdies is No. 1 in our Best Golf GPS Apps verdict.
Alternatives we scored
Visit 18birdies.com · Questions or corrections: editorial@hearsmart.org