Best launch monitor under $1,000 for a home golf simulator

Four launch monitors on sale now have a US list price under $1,000: the Garmin Approach R10, Rapsodo MLM2PRO, Square Golf Home Edition and Blue Tees Rainmaker. Each can run a home simulator. They differ most in what you pay every year after buying, and in how much room they need.

How we picked

Every pick had to pass four tests, using the data on each model’s page:

1. On sale now, under $1,000. A current model with a US list price below $1,000. Announced and discontinued models are out.
2. Simulator software. Which of GSPro, E6 Connect, Awesome Golf and the maker’s own simulator work with it, according to the software makers and the launch monitor makers.
3. Subscription cost. Whether the maker requires a paid plan for simulator play, and what it costs per year. Third-party software is a separate cost on top.
4. Room space. Where the unit sits and how far it needs to be from the ball and the screen. Check your own room with the Bay Sizer.

The order below is not an accuracy ranking. Of the four, only Rapsodo labels its spin numbers as measured, on its own product page. No source in our data says whether Garmin’s or Square Golf’s spin is measured or calculated, and the sources for Blue Tees disagree.

Garmin Approach R10

Why it qualifies. The R10 lists at $599.99. It is a Doppler radar unit that stands on its included tripod behind the ball, and the free Garmin Golf app shows its shot data. GSPro lists it as officially supported, connecting over the PC’s Bluetooth through GSPro Connect. Awesome Golf connects to it by Bluetooth on iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Windows and macOS, which makes it the only model here with a confirmed Mac route. Shop Indoor Golf says it comes with 5 free E6 Connect courses on iOS.

The catch. Garmin’s own simulator, Home Tee Hero, needs a Garmin Golf membership at $99.99 a year. GSPro and Awesome Golf need their own licenses instead. It also needs depth: Garmin’s manual puts the unit at least 6′ behind the tee and the tee at least 8′ from the net, and PlayBetter’s R10 FAQ, a retailer page, gives 15′ as the minimum room length. The R10 does not read putts, so GSPro has to auto-putt. No source in our data says which of its metrics are measured and which are calculated, which matters most for spin.

Who it suits. Golfers with a deep garage or basement who want GSPro or Awesome Golf, and Mac owners. See R10 vs MLM2PRO and R10 vs R50.

Rapsodo MLM2PRO

Why it qualifies. The MLM2PRO lists at $699.99 and sits behind the ball. Rapsodo’s product page tags ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, spin axis, club speed, club path and angle of attack as measured. Rapsodo’s own simulator, with 30,000+ courses, runs in its app on iPhone, iPad and Android, so no PC is needed. GSPro calls its MLM2Pro link “the official Rapsodo MLM2Pro connection”, and Awesome Golf lists it too.

The catch. Much of that depends on Rapsodo’s Premium Membership at $199.99 a year. Spin, club path, angle of attack and Rapsodo’s courses are listed as membership features, and GSPro says the MLM2Pro needs the membership to work with GSPro. Spin also needs Rapsodo RPT balls, indoors and out. For GSPro, the Rapsodo app must re-authenticate the unit every 24 hours. Rapsodo’s own figures are 6′6″ behind the ball and 8′ to the net, and it says taller players may need more. Rapsodo lists E6 Connect, but which platforms work and whether the membership is needed are not confirmed.

Who it suits. Golfers who want spin labelled as measured and a simulator on a phone or tablet, and who accept a yearly plan. See Square Golf vs MLM2PRO.

Square Golf Launch Monitor (Home Edition)

Why it qualifies. The Home Edition lists at $699. It is a camera unit that stands on the floor beside the ball, so nothing sits behind you. Square Golf sells it with no subscription fee and 1,000 free credits for course play in its own software. GSPro lists it as officially supported, PlayBetter says GSPro and E6 Connect need no fee paid to Square, and Awesome Golf lists it. Shop Indoor Golf lists a putting practice mode.

The catch. Spin needs Square’s marked balls (three are included), and club data needs a marker on the shaft. PlayBetter says the Home Edition does not report clubhead speed, smash factor or face impact location; the Square Omni adds them at a higher price. It is for indoor use only. Square Golf publishes no room dimensions or ball-to-screen distance, so plan with the general figures in our room size guide. Square’s official price for credits beyond the first 1,000 is not confirmed, and Mac is not mentioned.

Who it suits. Short rooms and buyers who want no yearly plan from the launch monitor maker. Left-handed golfers can use it, but the unit has to move to the other side of the ball.

Blue Tees Rainmaker

Why it qualifies. The Rainmaker lists at $599.99. It is a Doppler radar unit with its own screen that sits behind the ball. On-device metrics need no membership. GSPro lists it as officially supported: GSPro Connect finds the unit and asks for a PIN shown on its display. Blue Tees says it also works with E6.

The catch. It is new and thinly documented. Blue Tees shows it in stock while Shop Indoor Golf still lists a pre-order, and no first ship date is confirmed. The optional GAME AI + LAUNCH membership is free for 12 months; Shop Indoor Golf and Golfers Authority put it at $79 a year after that, while Blue Tees gives no renewal price. Seven of its 20+ metrics, such as hang time and descent angle, are calculated by Blue Tees’ software and appear only in the app. It is not on Awesome Golf’s compatibility list, and which E6 product it works with is not confirmed. The space figures come from Shop Indoor Golf, not Blue Tees: 5′ from unit to ball and 10′ from ball to net. Putting, left-handed and Mac support are not confirmed.

Who it suits. GSPro players who want a radar unit with no required plan and can wait for more published detail.

What three years really cost

Add the plans to the price. Three years of Garmin Golf membership come to about half the R10’s price again, though the R10’s GSPro and Awesome Golf requirements in our data do not include it. Three years of Rapsodo Premium come to most of the MLM2PRO’s own price, and you need it for spin either way. GSPro is $250 per year with any of the four and runs only on a Windows PC; three years of it cost about as much as the Square Golf Home Edition itself. Our guide to launch monitors without a subscription works through this in more detail.

Left out, and why

• Rapsodo MLM2XPRO ($899.99): announced, not shipping on the date we checked. It needs Rapsodo Core at $199.99 a year, and its third-party software support is not confirmed. Model page.
• SkyTrak (original): lists at $1,995, though SkyTrak’s store showed it on sale under $1,000 when checked. GSPro and Awesome Golf do not support SkyTrak, and which SkyTrak app and plans the original unit can use is not confirmed.
• FlightScope Mevo Gen2 ($1,299): over the limit, but needs no subscription.
• Discontinued models are excluded. Every current model and its software support is in the compatibility table.