Best-of · Launch Monitors
I ranked the four budget launch monitors I've reviewed — MLM2PRO, Garmin R10, Shot Scope LM1, Square Golf — by real cost and space, not sticker price.
By Davit Khvedelidze
Published September 23, 2026
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How I built this: This is a ranking built from my own individual reviews of each of these four launch monitors already on SwingVerdict, plus a fresh pass on September 2026 pricing and current market data. I didn't re-test hardware for this piece — it's a synthesis of what I already know about each device, organized around the one question readers keep asking me: which one should I actually buy under $700?
Every golfer emailing me about budget launch monitors asks some version of the same question: which one is actually worth it, not which one has the flashiest spec sheet. I've reviewed the Rapsodo MLM2PRO, Garmin Approach R10, Shot Scope LM1, and Square Golf Home Edition individually on this site. This is the roundup I kept getting asked for — all four, side by side, ranked on what they really cost and who they're actually built for.
In 2026, $700 covers more launch monitor than it used to. The floor is $199.99 for the Shot Scope LM1, a radar unit with zero subscription cost. The ceiling in this group is $699.99, shared by the Rapsodo MLM2PRO and the Square Golf Home Edition — two devices that solve completely different problems at the same price. In between sits the Garmin Approach R10 at $499.99, still the closest thing to an all-purpose budget pick. I'm only including devices I've personally reviewed on this site, so this isn't every budget option on the market — it's the ones I can actually vouch for.
Budget Launch Monitor Comparison
Top rated Rapsodo MLM2PRO |  Garmin Approach R10 |  Shot Scope Shot Scope LM1 |  Square Golf Square Golf (Home Edition) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $699.99(MSRP as of Jul 2026 — frequently on sale at $599.99) | $499.99(typical street price as of Jul 2026 — $599.99 MSRP) | $199.99(as of Jul 2026) | $699.99(as of Jul 2026) |
| Rating | 8.9/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Type | Dual-camera + radar launch monitor | Portable radar launch monitor | Doppler radar launch monitor | Photometric (camera-based) launch monitor |
| Metrics | Ball speed, true spin rate, launch angle, carry & total distance | Ball speed, clubhead speed, carry & total distance, estimated spin | Ball speed, club speed, smash factor, carry & total distance | Ball data + club path, attack angle, face angle, dynamic loft |
| Indoor use | Yes, purpose-built for indoor simulator use | Yes, with a net or simulator software | Yes — needs ~13 ft room depth | Indoor only — side placement, minimal depth needed |
| App integration | Rapsodo Golf, E6 Connect, GSPro (subscription for full sim) | Garmin Golf, E6 Connect, Awesome Golf | Shot Scope app (free, no subscription) | — |
| Battery life | ~5 hours continuous use | ~4 hours continuous use | ~5 hours | — |
| Weight | 1.1 lb (500 g) | 5.3 oz (150 g) | — | — |
| Display | — | — | Built-in 3.5" color screen | — |
| Sim software | — | — | — | GSPro, E6 Connect, Awesome Golf (free plug-ins) + own app |
| Extras | — | — | — | Putting & chipping support, Swing Stick included |
| Best for | golfers who want simulator-grade spin data at home without a $2,000+ system | beginners and mid-handicappers who want real distance data without simulator-grade pricing | budget-conscious golfers who want distance gapping and speed training data without subscriptions or a sim setup | indoor-only golfers with limited room depth who want a true simulator experience without subscriptions |
| Check price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
If you want the closest thing to simulator-grade data without spending $2,000+, the MLM2PRO is still my top pick in this price range. It's the only device here that measures spin directly with dual high-speed cameras instead of estimating it, and its software integration with GSPro and E6 Connect is the best of the four. The catch is the $199.99/year Premium subscription — it's technically optional, but you lose most of the features people buy this device for without it.
Pros
Cons
The R10 is the one I recommend most often to people who aren't sure yet whether they want a full simulator setup or just better practice data. It's $200 cheaper than the MLM2PRO, works outdoors at the range as well as indoors, and its optional Garmin Golf membership is $99.99/year — a fraction of Rapsodo's Premium tier, and you don't need it for basic distance and speed tracking. I put these two head-to-head directly in Garmin R10 vs Rapsodo MLM2Pro if you're deciding between just these two.
Pros
Cons
The LM1 is the easiest recommendation I make on this entire site: $199.99, once, forever. It doesn't do spin, launch angle, or shot direction, and it can't power simulator software — so it's not for everyone. But if what you actually want is reliable carry distance and club speed for practice, without a subscription ever showing up on your credit card, nothing else in this group touches it. I went deep on exactly what the other three actually cost once subscriptions and extras are factored in — see Launch Monitor Hidden Costs — and the LM1's total cost of ownership is unbeatable.
Pros
Cons
Every other device on this list is a radar unit that needs room to sit behind the ball and track the shot down range. The Square Golf is different — it's camera-based and sits beside the ball, so it doesn't need the 13-16 feet of room depth the others do. I measured this out properly in Best Launch Monitor for a 14-Foot Garage, and the Square Golf is the one exception that sidesteps the whole problem — at the cost of being indoor-only, with no outdoor mode at all.
Pros
Cons
Sticker price is only part of the story on three of these four. The MLM2PRO's realistic year-one cost — hardware, Premium subscription, and a starter pack of RPT balls for true spin — lands around $950. The R10 stays at $499.99 if you skip the optional membership, or $599.98 with it. The LM1 is the only device where the sticker price is the whole story: $199.99, full stop. I can only show three products in the cost breakdown below, so Square Golf isn't pictured — but at $699.99 with no required subscription, its true cost tracks its sticker price closely, same as the LM1.
Rapsodo
MLM2PRO
Day one
$699.99
Year one total
$899.98
Subscription required for full features — Rapsodo Premium (needed for full sim features; 45-day trial auto-renews into paid year).
45-day trial included
Garmin
Approach R10
Day one
$499.99
Without subscription
$499.99
With optional subscription
$599.98
Garmin Golf membership (optional — Home Tee Hero sim)
Shot Scope
Shot Scope LM1
Day one
$199.99
Year one total
$199.99
No subscription required.
Three of these four are radar units that sit behind the ball, and they don't all need the same amount of room. The LM1 is the most compact at about 13 feet of total depth, the MLM2PRO wants roughly 14.5 feet, and the R10 needs the most at around 16 feet. The Square Golf, sitting beside the ball instead, sidesteps the depth requirement almost entirely — it's the pick if your space is the limiting factor rather than your budget.
MLM2PRO
14.5 ft room depthIndoor: yes · Outdoor: yes6.5-8.5 ft behind the ball + 8 ft of ball flight (Rapsodo official)Approach R10
16 ft room depthIndoor: yes · Outdoor: yes6-8 ft behind the ball plus ~8 ft of ball flight; plan on ~15-16 ft totalShot Scope LM1
13 ft room depthIndoor: yes · Outdoor: yes55 in (4.6 ft) behind the ballSquare Golf (Home Edition)
No depth requirement — sits beside the ballIndoor: yes · Outdoor: nosits beside the ball; only comfortable swing space requiredThe Shot Scope LM1 at $199.99. It doesn't track spin or launch angle, but its ball speed and carry distance numbers have held up well against far more expensive devices in independent testing, and there's no subscription of any kind.
It depends on the device. The Shot Scope LM1 and Square Golf Home Edition never require one. The Garmin Approach R10's membership is optional and only unlocks Home Tee Hero simulation. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO is the exception — its $199.99/year Premium tier is technically optional, but you lose most of the simulator features the device is bought for without it.
The Square Golf Home Edition, because it's camera-based and sits beside the ball rather than needing room to track ball flight down range. Among the radar units, the Shot Scope LM1 is the most compact, needing about 13 feet of total room depth.
If you want to build a real simulator setup with true spin data and strong GSPro/E6 Connect integration, yes. If you mainly want distance numbers for practice and might use it outdoors at the range, the R10 gets you there for less and without a required subscription.
Prices and availability change often; verify the current price before you buy. Last updated September 23, 2026.
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