Subscription costs
The short answer
The sticker price is not the price. Most launch monitors need a paid plan before you can play a course rather than just hit balls, and over five years that can outweigh the difference between two units you were choosing between. A handful need nothing at all, which is the single most underrated line item in this category.
What the plans cost
Garmin Approach R10
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin Golf Premium | $99.99 | Home Tee Hero simulated course play |
Pricing read from Garmin Approach R10 product page on 2026-08-25. Manufacturer published.
TrackMan iO
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| TrackMan membership | $700 | Course play and performance software |
Pricing read from The Indoor Golf Shop, TrackMan iO on 2026-08-25. Retailer published.
SkyTrak ST MAX
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $99.99 | Practice range and basic game improvement |
| Core | $249.99 | Course play on the Foresight course library |
| Elite | $499.99 | Full course library and advanced game improvement |
Basic app functions work without a paid plan.
Pricing read from SkyTrak, plan your space on 2026-08-25. Manufacturer published.
Uneekor EYE XO
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0 | Uneekor first-party software |
| Pro | $199 | Third-party simulation software |
| Premium | $399 | Full feature set |
A free tier exists. Third-party software requires a paid plan.
Pricing read from The Indoor Golf Shop, Uneekor EYE XO on 2026-08-25. Retailer published.
Bushnell Launch Pro
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | $199 | Course play |
| Gold | $499 | Full feature set, required for GSPro |
Pricing read from Rain or Shine Golf, Bushnell Launch Pro SwingBay package on 2026-08-25. Retailer published.
TrackMan 4
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| TrackMan software subscription | $1100 | Simulator and course play |
Pricing read from The Indoor Golf Shop, TrackMan 4 on 2026-08-27. Retailer published.
Garmin Approach R50
| Plan | Per year | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin Golf membership | $99 | Simulated course play |
Pricing read from The Indoor Golf Shop, Garmin Approach R50 on 2026-08-27. Retailer published.
Units that need no plan
These require no ongoing payment for simulation. If you are weighing a cheaper unit against one of these, run the five year total rather than the sticker price.
Not yet confirmed
We have not been able to confirm the current plan structure for these from the maker’s own pages, so we are not stating one. Third party figures circulate for all of them and we would rather leave a gap than repeat something we have not checked.
How to think about it
Take the hardware price, add five years of whichever plan you would actually use, and compare that number instead. A unit that costs more up front and asks for nothing after often lands below a cheaper one on an annual plan, and the gap widens every year you keep it.
Worth pairing with the full cost guide, which covers the enclosure, screen and projector that turn a sensor into a simulator, and with the software guide, because which titles your sensor can actually connect to often decides which plan you end up on in the first place.
Common questions
Do all golf simulators require a subscription?+
No. Several launch monitors need no ongoing payment at all, and their makers say so plainly. Most of the cheaper units do require a paid plan before you can play a course rather than just hit balls onto a range.
Why do launch monitors charge a subscription?+
The courses are the product. Licensing real course data and maintaining the simulation software is an ongoing cost, so makers who sell hardware cheaply usually recover it through an annual plan. A higher hardware price with no plan is often cheaper over five years.