Disclosure: the third column is our app, Golf Scorecard. Everything else is from each company's own site and app store listings, checked October 21, 2026.
18Birdies
4/7 rows
Premium $99.99/yr or $19.99/mo
Choose it if you want GPS, swing analysis and an AI coach in one polished app.
TheGrint
4/7 rows
Pro $59.99/yr
Choose it if you want an official USGA Handicap Index through the app.
Golf Scorecard
1/7 rows
Free (2 players); Pro unlocks handicap and stats
Choose it if you only want a fast scorecard for your group, offline and without an account.
Side by side
| 18Birdies | TheGrint | Golf Scorecard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS distances | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | No |
| Official USGA handicap | Not stated | ✓ Yes, as a USGA data affiliate (Handicap ID sold separately in the US) | No, course handicap from your index |
| AI coaching and swing analysis | ✓ Yes | No | No |
| Premium price | $99.99/yr; $19.99/mo; $7.99/wk | ✓ $59.99/yr | Pro subscription |
| Works offline, no account | Account needed | Account needed | ✓ Yes |
| App Store rating | ✓ 4.9 (306k) | ✓ 4.9 (34k) | 5.0 (4) |
| Google Play rating | ✓ 4.9 (64.1k) | 4.5 (5.5k) | 4.3 |
Prices from 18birdies.com and thegrint.com, ratings from the US App Store and Google Play, checked October 21, 2026.
Where 18Birdies wins
Coaching and polish. 18Birdies combines GPS, scorekeeping and stats with a swing analyzer and an AI coach, and it is the most reviewed golf app in the App Store, with over 300,000 ratings. Premium is $99.99 a year, $19.99 a month or $7.99 a week.
Where TheGrint wins
The handicap. TheGrint is a licensed USGA data affiliate, so it can give you an official Handicap Index. In the US the Handicap ID is a separate purchase from Pro (there is a Pro plus USGA bundle). Pro itself is $59.99 a year and adds advanced stats and GPS features. If your club or league needs an official index, this is the reason to choose it.
Just want to keep score?
Golf Scorecard is a fast scorecard for your group: offline, no account, your rounds on your phone.
Where Golf Scorecard fits
Golf Scorecard is ours, so weigh this section accordingly. It is a scorecard and nothing else: enter strokes hole by hole for your group, see totals and averages, and keep your round history. It works offline, needs no account and keeps everything on your phone.
It has no GPS distances and it does not calculate an official Handicap Index. On Pro you enter your index and it works out your Course Handicap from the slope and rating, scores net, and adds 9-hole rounds, up to 4 players and detailed stats. The free version covers 2 players on 18 holes. It is on iPhone and Android, and it is new: a handful of ratings against hundreds of thousands for the apps above.