Golf app prices compared (2026): AutoStrike vs 18Birdies, Golfshot, Hole19 and SwingU
Premium golf GPS apps cost $69.99 to $99.99 a year. Here is what each one charges, what you get for it, and where AutoStrike Pro fits at $24.99.
Key takeaways
- As of October 2026, the main paid tiers of 18Birdies and SwingU cost $99.99 a year, Golfshot Pro costs $79.99 and Hole19 Premium Pro costs $69.99 on the US App Store or the company's own site.
- AutoStrike Pro costs $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month, which is $45 to $75 a year less, or up to $375 over five years.
- All four competitors have a free GPS tier. If free yardages are all you need, you may not need to pay for any app.
- Where the other apps offer automatic shot tracking, it's in plans that cost $79.99 to $99.99 a year. AutoStrike Pro includes it for $24.99.
Golf app prices at a glance (US, October 2026)
These are the standard prices for each app's main paid plan, taken from the US App Store's In-App Purchases list or the company's own pricing page as of October 28, 2026. The five-year column assumes you stay on the yearly plan at today's price.
| App and plan | Yearly | Monthly | 5 years (yearly plan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoStrike Pro | $24.99 | $2.99 | $124.95 |
| Hole19 Premium Pro | $69.99 [1] | $12.99 [1] | $349.95 |
| Golfshot Pro | $79.99 [2] | Not listed on golfshot.com | $399.95 |
| 18Birdies Premium | $99.99 [3] | $19.99 [3] | $499.95 |
| SwingU Pro | $99.99 [4] | Not listed on swingu.com | $499.95 |
AutoStrike prices are from its US App Store listing [5]. Other tiers: Golfshot also sells "Champions: Pro and Golfplan" at $99.99 a year [2]. Hole19 sells an "Intelligence" tier at $99.99 a year [1]. SwingU sells a cheaper Plus tier at $59.99 a year [4]. The 18Birdies App Store listing shows several other price points, including a $69.99 yearly option, that we could not match to a public plan, so we use the price on 18birdies.com [6].
How much you save with AutoStrike Pro
On the yearly plans above, AutoStrike Pro costs:
- $75.00 a year less than 18Birdies Premium or SwingU Pro ($375 over five years).
- $55.00 a year less than Golfshot Pro ($275 over five years).
- $45.00 a year less than Hole19 Premium Pro ($225 over five years).
The gap is wider if you pay monthly. AutoStrike Pro is $2.99 a month, compared with $19.99 a month for 18Birdies Premium and $12.99 a month for Hole19 Premium Pro.
Everything you need in a golf app. For less.
Try AutoStrike free for your first few rounds, then keep auto shot tracking, GPS and stats for $24.99 a year.
Download free on the App StoreFree to download · free to try for your first few rounds · then AutoStrike Pro for $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month
What you get for the money
Price alone doesn't settle it, because these apps don't put the same features in the same tiers. This table compares a few features golfers ask about most, based on each company's own help pages and App Store listings.
| Feature | AutoStrike | 18Birdies | Golfshot | Hole19 | SwingU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free GPS with no subscription | Free trial rounds, then Pro | Yes [7] | Yes [8] | Yes [9] | Yes [10] |
| Apple Watch app | Yes | Yes, core features free [7] | Yes, GPS free [8] | Yes, distances free, scoring in Premium [11] | Yes [12] |
| Automatic shot tracking | Pro, $24.99/yr | Premium (Smart Tracking), $99.99/yr [13] | Pro, $79.99/yr [14] | Intelligence, $99.99/yr: suggests shots for you to confirm [15] | Not found in SwingU's help docs |
Feature names and tiers as described by each company as of October 28, 2026.
Where the other apps are strong
A fair comparison should say where the competition does well:
- Free tiers. 18Birdies, Golfshot, Hole19 and SwingU all give you GPS yardages for free [7] [8] [9] [10]. AutoStrike is free to download and free to try for your first few rounds. After that, you need Pro.
- 18Birdies has a huge following, with 4.9 stars from about 306,000 ratings on the US App Store and free GPS on 45,000+ courses [6].
- Golfshot has a long history on the wrist. It calls itself "the original Apple Watch golf GPS since 2015" and lists 47,000+ courses [8].
- Hole19 has the cheapest premium plan of the four, at $69.99 a year, and its Apple Watch distances are free [9].
- SwingU offers a cheaper Plus tier at $59.99 a year as well as Pro [4].
AutoStrike is a newer app, so it doesn't have that kind of review history yet. What it offers is the core feature set at a much lower price.
What AutoStrike Pro includes for $24.99 a year
- Auto shot tracking: shots are recorded from your Apple Watch, with no tags and no sensors.
- GPS yardages to the front, center and back of the green, plus hazards, layups and doglegs on satellite maps.
- Plays-like elevation, so you know how far each shot really plays.
- Apple Watch app with distances, club suggestions and scoring on your wrist.
- Live multiplayer with join codes and live leaderboards.
- Handicap index calculated on World Handicap System rules from your rounds.
- Stats and trends for scoring, greens in regulation and putting.
- AI scorecard import from photos of paper scorecards or screenshots of any other golf app (see how to switch without losing your history).
- Worldwide course coverage and no ads.
Pro costs $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month on the US App Store [5]. See the full list on our features page and the plans on our pricing page.
Which golf app should you pick?
- You only want free yardages: the free tier of 18Birdies, Golfshot, Hole19 or SwingU may be enough.
- You want auto shot tracking on Apple Watch, GPS, multiplayer, handicap and stats without paying $70 to $100 a year: AutoStrike Pro at $24.99.
- You want club-by-club data from sensors and strokes-gained analytics: look at Arccos, but budget for the hardware and membership. We break down those costs in the best Apple Watch golf app for automatic shot tracking.
- You're worried about losing years of rounds: read how to switch golf apps without losing your score history.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest golf GPS app with automatic shot tracking?
Among the apps compared here, AutoStrike Pro is the lowest-priced plan with automatic shot tracking on Apple Watch, at $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month on the US App Store as of October 2026. The plans that include automatic shot tracking in the other apps cost $79.99 a year (Golfshot Pro) to $99.99 a year (18Birdies Premium and Hole19 Intelligence).
How much does 18Birdies Premium cost in 2026?
18Birdies lists Premium at $99.99 a year or $19.99 a month on 18birdies.com as of October 2026, with a 7-day free trial. Its App Store listing also shows other price points.
How much does Golfshot Pro cost?
Golfshot Pro costs $79.99 a year as of October 2026. Golfshot also sells a Champions plan with Pro and Golfplan for $99.99 a year.
How much is Hole19 Premium?
On the US App Store, Hole19 Premium Pro is $69.99 a year or $12.99 a month as of October 2026. Its Intelligence tier is $99.99 a year.
Is there a free golf GPS app?
Yes. 18Birdies, Golfshot, Hole19 and SwingU all offer free GPS yardages. AutoStrike is free to download and free to try for your first few rounds. After that, AutoStrike Pro is $24.99 a year.
Is AutoStrike Pro cheaper because it leaves features out?
AutoStrike Pro includes automatic shot tracking from Apple Watch, GPS yardages with hazards and plays-like elevation, an Apple Watch app, live multiplayer, a handicap index based on World Handicap System rules, stats and AI scorecard import, with no ads. Other apps offer extras such as AR views or strokes-gained analytics, so compare the features you actually use.
Stop overpaying. Start playing.
Auto shot tracking on Apple Watch, GPS yardages with plays-like elevation, live multiplayer, handicap and stats. AutoStrike Pro is $24.99 a year.
Download free on the App StoreFree to download · free to try for your first few rounds · then AutoStrike Pro for $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month
Sources
Prices are US App Store or official US prices in USD, as of October 28, 2026. Prices change and can vary by region, promotion and platform, so check the current price before you subscribe.
- Hole19 on the US App Store, In-App Purchases, accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Golfshot Free vs Pro (golfshot.com), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- 18Birdies Premium plans and pricing (18birdies.com), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- SwingU plans (swingu.com), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- AutoStrike Golf on the US App Store, In-App Purchases, accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- 18Birdies on the US App Store, In-App Purchases, accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- What's included with 18Birdies Premium (18Birdies Help Center), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Golfshot on the US App Store, In-App Purchases, accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Intelligence, Premium, Free: what's the difference? (Hole19 Help Center), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- SwingU on the US App Store, In-App Purchases, accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Using Hole19 on Apple Watch with Premium (Hole19 Help Center), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Does SwingU work with my watch? (SwingU Help), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Smart Tracking with Apple Watch (18Birdies Help Center), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- Golfshot Auto Shot Tracking (golfshot.com), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
- How Auto Shot Detection works, Intelligence (Hole19 Help Center), accessed Oct 28, 2026.
Disclosure: this guide is published by AutoStrike Golf, the maker of one of the apps compared. We have tried to keep it fair: every competitor price and feature above links to the company's own website, help center or App Store listing. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it. 18Birdies, Golfshot, Hole19, SwingU, Arccos, Garmin and Apple Watch are trademarks of their respective owners.
