Launch monitors without a subscription for simulator play

Four launch monitors on sale now need no subscription from their maker for simulator play: the Square Golf Home Edition, the Square Omni, the FlightScope Mevo Gen2 and the Blue Tees Rainmaker. Sixteen others need a paid plan from their maker for at least one simulator route, and for Trackman’s two models it is not confirmed either way.

How we picked

• No maker subscription for simulator play. Each model’s page records whether the launch monitor maker requires a paid plan before you can play simulated golf. These four do not.
• On sale now. Discontinued and announced models are out.
• “No subscription” is not “no cost”. It means you pay nothing yearly to the launch monitor maker. Third-party simulators such as GSPro ($250 per year) and Awesome Golf are sold separately and are usually subscriptions themselves.

Square Golf Launch Monitor (Home Edition)

Why it qualifies. Square Golf sells the Home Edition ($699) with “no-subscription fee & 1,000 free credits”. Course play in Square’s own software uses those credits. PlayBetter says GSPro and E6 Connect work with no fee paid to Square.

The catch. Once the 1,000 credits are used, course play in Square’s software costs more credits, and Square’s official credit price is not confirmed. Spin needs Square’s marked balls. Indoor use only.

Who it suits. Short rooms, since it sits beside the ball, and golfers happy with Square’s own software or already paying for GSPro. See Square Golf vs MLM2PRO.

Blue Tees Rainmaker

Why it qualifies. On-device metrics need no membership, and Blue Tees requires no plan for simulator play. GSPro lists the Rainmaker ($599.99) as officially supported, and Blue Tees says it works with E6.

The catch. Our data lists no Blue Tees simulator software (Golfers Authority says Blue Tees plans one), so in practice you buy GSPro or E6 to play courses. Seven app-only metrics sit in an optional membership, free for the first year and $79 a year after that according to two retailers; Blue Tees gives no renewal price. The first ship date is not confirmed.

Who it suits. GSPro players who want a radar unit and no second yearly plan.

FlightScope Mevo Gen2

Why it qualifies. FlightScope says the Mevo Gen2 ($1,299) has “no required subscriptions, hidden fees or annual license fees”. The free FS Golf app runs on iOS, Android and Windows. It is the only pick that comes with third-party simulator courses: lifetime ownership of an 8-course E6 Connect bundle on iOS and PC. GSPro and Awesome Golf both list it.

The catch. Club path and face angle are locked behind a one-time Pro Package add-on, and face impact location is a second add-on. Sources quote different prices for both. More E6 courses, GSPro and Awesome Golf each need their own license. Indoors it needs 8′ behind the ball and 8′ of ball flight, plus aluminum stickers or Titleist RCT balls for accurate spin.

Who it suits. Golfers who want to play courses without buying any software, and have a deep room.

Square Omni (Omni Edition)

Why it qualifies. The Omni ($1,599) has the same no-subscription, 1,000-credit terms as the Home Edition. Square Golf says any golf ball works, with no markings. GSPro lists it, and PlayBetter says it adds clubhead speed, smash factor and face impact location over the Home Edition.

The catch. Stock is limited. Retailers give conflicting ship dates, and PlayBetter now expects late fall 2026. Neither the price of credits beyond the first 1,000 nor putting support is confirmed.

Who it suits. Buyers who want a beside-the-ball camera with no yearly plan and no marked balls, and can wait for stock.

Models that need a subscription

The maker’s plan is needed for different things on different models. Our pages give the full plan list for each.

• Garmin Approach R10 and R50: Garmin’s own simulator, Home Tee Hero, needs a Garmin Golf membership ($99.99 a year). GSPro and Awesome Golf need their own licenses instead; Awesome Golf and PlayBetter say the R50 needs no Garmin membership for them. Whether E6 Connect on the R10 also needs the membership is not confirmed.
• Rapsodo MLM2PRO: Premium Membership ($199.99 a year) unlocks spin, club path, angle of attack and Rapsodo’s courses, and GSPro requires it too.
• Uneekor (EYE MINI, EYE MINI LITE, EYE XO, EYE XO2, EYE XR): ball and club data are free, but course play and third-party software need the Pro package ($199 a year) or higher.
• Foresight (GC3, GCQuad, QuadMAX, Falcon) and Bushnell (Launch Pro, Launch Pro Indoor): for units bought from 18 September 2026, the free tier keeps core data, though Bushnell units need Silver for club data. Course play needs Silver ($199 a year) plus a Course Pass, and third-party software needs Gold.
• Full Swing KIT: all 16 metrics are free, but simulation needs Full Swing’s yearly E6 Connect-based package or a third-party license.
• SkyTrak (original): course play needs a Core or Elite plan; the Essential plan ($99.99 a year) has none. That these plans cover the original unit is not confirmed by SkyTrak.
• Trackman iO and Trackman 4: Trackman lists yearly home subscriptions for the iO and says Trackman 4 software comes with an annual subscription, but whether one is required for simulator play is not confirmed.

How to think about three-year cost

The sticker price is only the start. Add up three things over three years:

1. The launch monitor.
2. The maker’s plan, times three. Zero for the four picks above.
3. Your simulator software, times three if it is yearly. GSPro is $250 per year and runs only on Windows, so add a capable PC if you do not own one.

Two examples. A Rapsodo MLM2PRO at $699.99 plus three years of Premium at $199.99 a year: the plan alone comes to most of the unit’s list price again, before GSPro. A Square Golf Home Edition at $699 with GSPro: three years of GSPro cost about as much as the launch monitor, and nothing goes to Square. Check whether a plan is needed only for features you do not care about. A Foresight owner who never plays courses can stay on the free tier.

Rapsodo also listed a lifetime membership on the date we checked, marked as a limited-time offer, so we have left it out of the sums.

Left out, and why

• FlightScope Mevo+: no subscription, but FlightScope says it is in its final sales phase, so it is listed as discontinued.
• Rapsodo MLM2XPRO: announced, not shipping on the date we checked, and needs Rapsodo Core ($199.99 a year).
• Every other current model needs a plan, or the need is not confirmed, as listed above. The compatibility table shows which software each one runs.