Choose CNDR if you want to know where your strokes go, not only how many you took. CNDR detects swings and putts automatically from your Apple Watch or your iPhone in your pocket, calculates strokes gained, and plans each hole from your own dispersion. Choose TheGrint if your priority is an official handicap: it links a USGA Handicap Index in the US and GHAP elsewhere, runs on Android and Wear OS, and its Pro tier costs less.
TheGrint is built around your score and your handicap, and it is very good at both. You post a score hole by hole, it keeps your handicap, and you can see your friends' rounds and leaderboards. Pro adds deeper stats, green maps, more games and a service that turns a photo of a paper scorecard into a digital round.
What it does not do is watch you play. TheGrint's Shot Tracker records the shots you mark; we found no automatic swing detection in its feature pages or App Store listing. That is the gap CNDR is built to fill.
CNDR vs TheGrint at a glance
| Feature | CNDR | TheGrint |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, with or without Apple Watch | iPhone, Android, Apple Watch and Wear OS |
| Automatic shot detection | Yes, free for 1 round a week and unlimited with Pro. Swings and putts are detected from motion on Apple Watch, or with iPhone in your front pocket (beta) | Not found. Shot Tracker records shots you mark (Pro on the watch) |
| Score entry | Automatic from detected shots, or by hand at any time | Hole by hole on phone or watch; Scorecard Picture Service for paper cards (Pro) |
| Official handicap | Not a feature; CNDR estimates a handicap from your rounds using each course's rating and slope | Yes: link a USGA Handicap Index in the US, GHAP outside the US, or get a Handicap Estimate |
| Stats | Strokes gained against the tour baseline, round maps, shot dispersion and approach leave | 50+ stats with Pro, and insights that compare you with similar golfers |
| Pre-shot guidance | Hole-by-hole plan: club and aim point for every shot, scored against your own dispersion, with plays-like distances for wind, slope and air | GPS distances; green maps with Pro |
| Games and community | Rating with six ranks, challenges, friend and global leaderboards; stroke play, match play, fourball, foursomes | 6 games free and 11 with Pro, live leaderboards and groups |
| Courses | More than 11,000 courses | GPS on 40,000+ courses |
| Free tier | Scoring, stats, strokes gained, round maps, ranks and friends, plus 3 caddie plans a month and 1 automatically tracked round a week | GPS, hole-by-hole scoring, leaderboards and groups, 6 games, GPS on the watch |
| Published US price* | Free; Pro $7.99/month or $79.99/year | Pro options listed at $39.99 and $59.99 a year in its App Store listing |
*Checked October 15, 2026. TheGrint's App Store listing shows several Pro prices; the one you see can depend on region and offer.
Scores versus shots
A scorecard is a summary. A 5 on a par 4 can be a drive in the trees and a good recovery, or a perfect drive and three putts. TheGrint can record both rounds, and with Pro stats it can tell you how often you three-putt. It cannot tell you which bogey came from which shot unless you recorded every shot yourself.
CNDR records the shots for you. On Apple Watch it detects swings and putts from wrist motion. With auto phone tracking (beta), your iPhone stays in your front pocket and CNDR detects each swing from your hip turn and each putt with its own model, saving the shot where you hit it. The scorecard fills in as you go, and you can still type a score by hand if you want to.
A handicap measures how good you are. Shot-by-shot data shows what to fix.
Stats versus strokes gained
TheGrint Pro benchmarks your stats against golfers of a similar handicap, across its stat categories. That is a useful mirror.
CNDR calculates strokes gained shot by shot: every shot is measured by how much it changed your expected score from where it started. So instead of "your putting is below average for a 15 handicap," you see which shot cost the most: a drive, an approach, or the putt from 8 feet. Our article Strokes gained, explained with 1 hole walks through one bogey shot by shot.
CNDR then uses the same data before the round: it plans every hole from your real club distances and dispersion, and tells you where to aim.
What TheGrint has that CNDR doesn't
An official handicap. In the US you can link a USGA Handicap Index and post scores; outside the US TheGrint connects to the GHAP network. CNDR estimates a handicap from your rounds, but it is not an official index.
TheGrint also runs on Android and Wear OS, covers 40,000+ courses for GPS, turns paper scorecards into digital rounds, and has a long-running community with groups, leaderboards and many game formats. Its Pro tier is cheaper than CNDR Pro. If your goal is to keep an official handicap with friends, TheGrint is the right tool, and the two apps can live side by side.
Price
CNDR Pro is $79.99 a year. TheGrint's App Store listing shows Pro at $39.99 and $59.99 a year, among other options. TheGrint is the cheaper subscription. CNDR's free tier includes 1 automatically tracked round a week and 3 caddie plans a month, so you can see the shot data before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose CNDR if
- You want every shot recorded automatically, from your wrist or your pocket.
- You want strokes gained shot by shot, not only stat benchmarks.
- You want a plan for every hole built from your own dispersion.
Choose TheGrint if
- You need an official USGA or GHAP handicap.
- You or your group use Android or Wear OS.
- You want the cheapest way to keep a scorecard, stats and leaderboards.
Questions golfers ask
Does TheGrint track shots automatically?
We found no automatic swing detection in TheGrint's feature pages or App Store listing (checked October 15, 2026). Its Shot Tracker records the shots you mark, and Pro adds the Shot Tracker on the watch.
Can CNDR keep my official handicap?
No. CNDR estimates a handicap from your rounds using each course's rating and slope, but it does not post to the USGA or GHAP. TheGrint does.
Can I use CNDR without an Apple Watch?
Yes. Auto phone tracking (beta) detects swings and putts with your iPhone in your front pocket. Plans, scoring, maps and stats all work on iPhone alone.
Which is cheaper?
TheGrint. Its App Store listing shows Pro at $39.99 and $59.99 a year; CNDR Pro is $79.99 a year. Both have free tiers.
Editorial disclosure. CNDR publishes this comparison. TheGrint facts come from TheGrint's own feature pages and App Store listing, checked on October 15, 2026. CNDR claims describe the current app; auto phone tracking is in beta. TheGrint, USGA Handicap Index and GHAP are trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with CNDR.
Sources
- TheGrint features — Free and Pro features, handicap options and Apple Watch support, checked October 15, 2026.
- TheGrint on the App Store — Pro features, handicap features and in-app purchase prices.
- TheGrint — product overview.