SwingU vs TheGrint: Which Golf App Fits Your Game?

SwingU and TheGrint are both free golf apps with GPS distances, a digital scorecard and shot tracking. The biggest difference is official handicaps versus on-course help and coaching. TheGrint is a licensed USGA handicap data affiliate, so it's the better fit if you need an official Handicap Index. SwingU is the better fit if you want on-course help like "Plays Like" yardages and club recommendations (SwingU Plus, $59.99 a year), or strokes gained analysis with drills from Top-100 teachers (SwingU Pro, $99.99 a year). TheGrint Pro is $59.99 a year.

SwingU has been helping golfers improve since 2008, and TheGrint launched in 2012. Both are well rated, so the right choice depends on what you want your phone to do on the course. Here's a side-by-side look at features, pricing and handicaps.

SwingU vs TheGrint at a Glance

TheGrint details are from thegrint.com and its app store listings, checked October 22, 2026. Prices can change.

What You Get Free on Each App

Both free versions are full golf apps, not time-limited trials.

SwingU Free includes a GPS rangefinder with distances to greens and hazards, a digital scorecard with putts and auto-advance, a SwingU Handicap Estimate after just 9 holes, shot tracking for your club distances, five scorecard games with handicap-adjusted scoring, a daily tip from Top-100 teachers, and watch apps for Apple Watch and Wear OS with distances and scoring.

TheGrint Free includes front, center and back distances on 40,000+ courses, hazards and distance arcs, basic and advanced score tracking with headline stats, a manual Shot Tracker, GPS distances on Apple Watch and Wear OS, live leaderboards, Teams Cup, 6 games and a handicap estimate shown as a range.

For free yardages and a scorecard, either app does the job. TheGrint's free plan leans toward social play and score history. SwingU's adds free watch scoring, Nassau and Match Play, and a daily lesson.

Handicaps: Official Index vs SwingU Handicap Estimate

This is the clearest difference between the two apps.

TheGrint is a licensed handicap data affiliate of the USGA. In the US you can link an existing Handicap ID like GHIN, or buy an official Handicap ID inside the app without joining a private club. That's a separate purchase from Free or Pro, priced by your local Allied Golf Association with no TheGrint markup, and a Pro + USGA Handicap Bundle takes $20 off the combined price. Outside the US, TheGrint offers a GHAP handicap (included with Pro), which is a separate system from the Handicap Index.

SwingU gives you a free SwingU Handicap Estimate after you score 9 holes, on every plan. It uses the course rating and slope of the course you play, so a tough course counts for more than an easy one. (Our guide to course rating and slope explains how that works.) It's useful for tracking progress and setting up fair games, but it's an estimate, not an official USGA handicap or Handicap Index.

The bottom line: if you play events that require an official Handicap Index, TheGrint can get you one in the app. If you just want to see where your game stands, the SwingU Handicap Estimate is free with no subscription.

On the Course: GPS, Plays Like Yardages and Green Maps

Both apps give you free GPS distances. TheGrint lists 40,000+ courses. SwingU's GPS rangefinder works on every course in the world, backed by the only golfer community-verified course database in the world (34,000+ courses and growing).

The bigger gap is what happens when the wind is up or the green sits 20 feet above you.

• SwingU Plus adds an AI Digital Caddie with "Plays Like" yardages that account for live wind and elevation, plus club recommendations, hole notes and Hole Insights.

• TheGrint states on its GPS page that its app GPS "does not give plays-like, wind-adjusted or elevation-adjusted distances." TheGrint Pro adds Target Dispersion, a dispersion arc you set with your own width and draw or fade bias. TheGrint describes it as a planning tool that "doesn't pick a club or adjust for wind or elevation."

For reading greens, SwingU Plus includes StrackaLine Green Maps for 20,000+ courses, and TheGrint Pro includes Green Maps for 25,000+ courses (free members get three trial views). If green maps are your main reason to upgrade, check that your home course is covered first.

Stats and Game Improvement

TheGrint Pro unlocks 50+ performance stats and Insights & Targets, which compare your numbers with golfers at your handicap level for things like putting and scrambling. It's a solid option if you like digging through your own data.

SwingU is built around telling you what to work on next:

• SwingU Plus adds an enhanced scorecard and stats: putts, driver accuracy, bunker play, penalties and round summaries.

• SwingU Pro adds strokes gained analysis for each part of your game, a comparison against target handicap benchmarks from +6 to 30, and a relative handicap for driving, approach, chip/pitch, sand and putting. After each round, you get your #1 improvement priority and a drill from a Top-100 teacher. Pro also includes SwingU TV, with 600+ lessons and drills.

SwingU's strokes gained is used by 50+ active tour players and 100+ college golfers. Here's how strokes gained works.

Games, Social Features and Watch Support

TheGrint has a strong social side. Free members get live leaderboards, Teams Cup and 6 games. Pro raises that to 11 games and adds Multi-Games and Presses, so you can run something like Vegas and Skins at the same time. TheGrint also runs TheGrint Tour, with amateur events in 22 markets across the US and Canada.

SwingU keeps the most common money games free: Stroke Play, Stableford, Nassau, Match Play and Skins, with handicap-adjusted scoring on every plan.

On the wrist, the two apps split their free features differently:

• SwingU gives you distances and scoring on your watch for free. On iPhone, that's Apple Watch (Series 4 or later), with scoring for you and your group. On Android, it's Wear OS watches running Wear OS 10. Either way, you start the round on your phone. With Apple Watch, keep your iPhone within Bluetooth range.

• TheGrint gives you free GPS distances on Apple Watch (Series 4 or later) and Wear OS watches. Watch scoring, the watch Shot Tracker, the aerial map and green maps on the watch need Pro.

Pricing: What Each App Costs in 2026

SwingU Plus is $59.99 a year ($4.99 a month, billed annually), and SwingU Pro is $99.99 a year ($8.33 a month, billed annually). TheGrint Pro is $59.99 a year, with a monthly price that varies by country. So SwingU Plus and TheGrint Pro cost the same per year, but they buy different things. SwingU Plus is about on-course decisions: Plays Like yardages, club recommendations, green maps and no in-app ads. TheGrint Pro is about deeper stats, more games and full watch features. SwingU Pro costs more and adds the coaching layer: strokes gained, relative handicaps and personalized drills. For a full breakdown of the two SwingU plans, see SwingU Plus vs. Pro.

Which App Should You Choose?

Choose TheGrint if:

• You need an official USGA Handicap Index and want to get or link it in the same app

• You love side games with presses, or want to play in organized amateur events

Choose SwingU if:

• You want Plays Like yardages that account for wind and elevation, plus club recommendations

• You want strokes gained and a relative handicap for each part of your game, with drills that tell you what to practice

• You want free watch scoring on Apple Watch or Wear OS, plus free Nassau and Match Play games

• You want a handicap estimate after just 9 holes, without a subscription

Both free versions cost nothing to try, so you can test them side by side over a couple of rounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SwingU better than TheGrint?

It depends on what you need. TheGrint is stronger if you need an official handicap, since it's a licensed USGA data affiliate. SwingU is stronger for on-course decisions and game improvement, with Plays Like yardages, club recommendations and strokes gained coaching. Both offer free GPS and scoring.

Are SwingU and TheGrint free?

Yes, both have full free versions with GPS and scoring. SwingU Plus is $59.99 a year and SwingU Pro is $99.99 a year. TheGrint Pro is $59.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial.

Does SwingU give you an official handicap?

No. SwingU gives you a free SwingU Handicap Estimate after 9 holes. It uses course rating and slope, but it isn't an official USGA handicap or Handicap Index. For an official handicap, you'll need one through a club, an authorized golf association or an app that's a licensed USGA data affiliate.

Can I get an official handicap through TheGrint?

In the US, yes. You can link an existing Handicap ID like GHIN, or buy an official USGA Handicap ID in the app. The price is set by your local Allied Golf Association and is separate from TheGrint Pro.

Which app has Plays Like distances?

SwingU Plus includes Plays Like yardages that account for live wind and elevation. TheGrint says its app GPS does not give plays-like, wind-adjusted or elevation-adjusted distances.

Do SwingU and TheGrint work on Apple Watch and Wear OS?

Yes, both support Apple Watch and Wear OS. SwingU's free watch apps show distances and let you enter your score, with the round started on your phone. TheGrint offers free watch distances, and watch scoring with Pro.

The Bottom Line

SwingU and TheGrint are both good free golf apps for yardages and a scorecard. If an official Handicap Index is your priority, TheGrint is built for that. If you want an app that helps you pick the right club and tells you what to practice, download SwingU free and get your SwingU Handicap Estimate after your first 9 holes.