18Birdies is the biggest name in AI-flavoured golf apps — a polished all-rounder with a huge community, games and side-bets, and a 4.8★ Play Store rating. CaddieIQ is the specialist: fewer social features, deeper coaching intelligence. Both claim AI. The difference is how much of it, and what it costs.
| Feature | CaddieIQ | 18Birdies |
|---|---|---|
| GPS courses + yardages | ✓ 40,000+ | ✓ |
| Plays-like distance | ✓ included | Premium tier |
| Auto shot tracking (no hardware) | ✓ included | Premium tier |
| Strokes Gained (4 categories) | ✓ Plus tier | Premium tier |
| Two-way conversational AI caddie | ✓ Ask CaddieIQ | — |
| AI swing analysis with pose detection | ✓ 33-point, 4 phases | ✓ (depth unclear) |
| Smart caddie using miss tendencies + gap variance | ✓ | Averages only |
| AI practice plans | ✓ weekly, from strokes gained | Drill plans |
| AI round analysis (written recap) | ✓ | Stats only |
| Games, side-bets & community | — | ✓ Excellent |
| WHS handicap tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free option | ✓ GPS + scorecard free | Limited free tier |
| Entry paid tier (monthly) | £7.99 | ~£15 ($19.99) |
| Best-value yearly | £71.99 (Plus) | ~£80 ($99.99 Premium) |
| Google Play rating | New (just launched) | 4.8★, 1M+ installs |
Competitor details verified May–July 2026 from public Google Play listings and 18birdies.com. "Premium tier" = requires 18Birdies Premium.
It depends what you want. 18Birdies wins on community, games and track record. CaddieIQ wins on coaching depth: a two-way AI caddie, 33-point swing analysis, AI practice plans and AI round recaps — six AI tools vs three — at a lower yearly price.
CaddieIQ Plus is £71.99/yr. 18Birdies Premium is about £80/yr ($99.99). CaddieIQ's monthly entry price (£7.99) is also roughly half of 18Birdies' (~£15/$19.99).
No. 18Birdies includes AI-branded features like swing analysis and its caddie recommendations, but there is no two-way conversational caddie you can talk to mid-round. CaddieIQ's Ask CaddieIQ does exactly that.
Not yet — CaddieIQ focuses on coaching and score improvement. If in-app games with friends are your priority, 18Birdies is the better pick today.
Every feature unlocked. No card required.
18Birdies is a trademark of its respective owner. It is referenced here for nominative comparison purposes only; no endorsement is implied. Competitor pricing and features change — verify current details on the competitor's own site. CaddieIQ pricing shown is UK Google Play pricing.