Under $1,000 there are four launch monitors worth building a home golf simulator around: the Square Golf Home Edition, the Garmin Approach R10, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO and the Rapsodo MLM2XPRO. This guide says which one fits which golfer and which room, what each costs to run once the yearly plans are added, and what GSV found testing them. Jay Lasco, host of Golf Simulator Videos, has tested all four on the channel, the R10 against an Uneekor EYE XO and the MLM2PRO against a Foresight GCQuad.
Updated November 8, 2026. Prices are the makers' list prices, before tax and shipping. GSV's codes take 5% off all four.
- $599.99 to $899.99The four launch monitors, at list
- Beside or behindWhere it sits decides the room
- 15 ft 6 inThe shortest room for a radar unit in the GSV Sim Builder
- 5% offGSVSQUARE and GSV5OFF
GSV's links for all four, with the code that applies to each:
Launch monitors under $1,000
- Square Golf Home Edition5% off at Square Golf with code GSVSQUARE.
- Garmin Approach R105% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
- Rapsodo MLM2XPRO5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF, first-time buyers.
Will it fit? See each in your room in the free GSV Sim Builder, in 3D: Square Golf HE, Garmin R10, MLM2PRO, MLM2XPRO.
Buying through GSV's links and codes helps support the channel: GSV earns a small commission at no extra cost to you, and you still get every saving available.
The best launch monitors under $1,000
| Best for | The pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An indoor simulator | Square Golf HE, $699 | Cameras beside the ball, no subscription, putting, the shortest room |
| The range and the simulator | Garmin R10, $599.99 | Pocket radar, on GSPro's list, no plan needed for GSPro |
| Swing video and measured spin | Rapsodo MLM2PRO, $699.99 | Two cameras and radar, swing and impact video |
| Putting with a radar unit | Rapsodo MLM2XPRO, $899.99 | The MLM2PRO's sensors, with putting in Rapsodo's simulation |
Not sure which fits your room? The launch monitor finder checks every launch monitor against your budget and your room in the GSV Sim Builder.
Beside the ball or behind it: the choice that decides the room
The Square Golf HE sits on the mat beside the ball and photographs it at impact, so it adds nothing to the depth of the room. The Garmin R10 and both Rapsodos sit behind the ball and track it with radar, so they need their own distance behind the golfer and about 8 ft of ball flight in front:
- Garmin R10: 6 to 8 ft behind the tee, with the tee at least 8 ft from the net or screen, by Garmin.
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO and MLM2XPRO: 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 ft behind the ball, with about 8 ft from the ball to the net or screen, by Rapsodo.
In the GSV Sim Builder, a room 14 ft wide with a 10 ft ceiling and a 5 ft 9 in golfer needs at least 15 ft 6 in of depth for the R10 and 16 ft for an MLM2PRO, and about 17 ft for a layout with nothing to watch. A unit beside the ball fits a shorter room. Check your own measurements in the room size checker, and read golf simulator for a low ceiling if the ceiling is under 9 ft.
Best for an indoor simulator: Square Golf HE, $699
You should buy the Square Golf Home Edition if the simulator stays indoors. It sits beside the ball and reads it with its cameras at impact, with Square Golf's patterned balls for its full data and a club marker for club data. Square Golf lists no subscription for its app or for its GSPro connection, SQG GSPro Connect; GSPro itself is $250 a year from GSPro. It putts in Square Golf's own app, and Square Golf rates its battery at up to 8 hours.
- Good at: the shortest room of the four, putting, and no yearly fee from Square Golf.
- Watch for: indoor use only (Square Golf's manual asks for a room with little to no sunlight), the patterned balls for its full data, and no club head speed, which the OMNI adds.
- What GSV found: ball speed and carry were reliable, spin was best on the patterned balls, and the club data needs the marker on the club.
- Code: GSVSQUARE takes 5% off at Square Golf USA, and GSV's Square Golf link applies it. In the UK and Europe, SQUAREGSV at SimSpace Golf.
More in GSV's Square Golf review and Square Golf HE vs OMNI.
Square Golf Home Edition
- Square Golf Home Edition5% off at Square Golf with code GSVSQUARE.
Best for the range and the simulator: Garmin R10, $599.99
The Garmin Approach R10 is a pocket-size radar that goes to the range on its battery, rated by Garmin at up to 10 hours, and runs a simulator at home. Garmin's app runs on a phone or tablet, and Home Tee Hero course play needs a Garmin Golf membership, $99.99 a year. GSPro lists the R10 as officially supported over Bluetooth, and neither GSPro nor Garmin names a Garmin membership for it.
- Good at: the lowest price of the four, the range, and GSPro with no second subscription.
- Watch for: a room of at least 15 ft 6 in in the Sim Builder, and spin axis, which the R10 calculates rather than reads. No putting: GSPro gives the putt, and Home Tee Hero uses auto-putt rings.
- What GSV found: against the Uneekor EYE XO, ball speed was within about 1 mph and wedge and iron carries were good for the money, but some shots read side spin the wrong way. In Jay's 2022 test with Titleist RCT balls, the R10 read total spin but not spin axis indoors.
- Code: GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf, one use.
Every test is in GSV's Garmin R10 review, and the R10 against the Rapsodo in Garmin R10 vs Rapsodo MLM2PRO.
Garmin Approach R10
- Garmin Approach R105% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
Best for swing video and measured spin: Rapsodo MLM2PRO, $699.99
The MLM2PRO combines two cameras with Doppler radar. One camera records the swing with the shot traced, the other photographs impact, and with Titleist or Callaway RPT balls indoors it measures spin rate and spin axis rather than calculating them. Rapsodo's Premium Membership, $199.99 a year after the trial that comes with the unit, adds spin, club data, more than 30,000 courses and GSPro access; without it the unit gives the basic figures and the swing replay.
- Good at: swing and impact video on every shot, measured spin on RPT balls, and the range.
- Watch for: the Premium Membership for simulator play and GSPro, about 16 ft of room in the Sim Builder, and no putting: Rapsodo told Jay it has no plans to add putting to the MLM2PRO.
- What GSV found: beside a Foresight GCQuad in Jay's 2023 driver test, carry and spin axis were close, within a few yards and fractions of a degree on most drives, and launch angle read about 2 to 2.5 degrees low.
- Code: GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf.
More in GSV's Rapsodo MLM2PRO review.
Rapsodo MLM2PRO
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
Best for putting with a radar unit: Rapsodo MLM2XPRO, $899.99
The MLM2XPRO uses the MLM2PRO's two cameras and Doppler radar and lists the same 15 figures, so Rapsodo's data should match. What it adds: putting in Rapsodo's simulation on all of its courses, a shot shown twice as fast, a screen on the unit, a tilt built into the tripod, and 12 RPT balls in the box. Rapsodo's Core membership, $199.99 a year after a 21-day trial, runs the simulation with putting; Studios, $399.99 a year in all rather than on top of Core, adds Rapsodo's 4K courses on a PC. It sits in the same place as the MLM2PRO, 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 ft behind the ball.
- Good at: putting out every hole in Rapsodo's simulation, faster shots, and a screen showing level, tilt and battery.
- Watch for: $200 more than the MLM2PRO at list for the same sensors, the Core membership, and very soft, short putts, where GSV's test saw the speed read differently from the roll.
- What GSV found: lag putts from 47 ft had good pace and line, and launch direction read to a tenth of a degree.
- Code: GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf.
Jay's putting tests are in the Rapsodo MLM2XPRO review, and the two Rapsodos side by side in MLM2XPRO vs MLM2PRO. Every unit that putts is in the putting simulator guide.
Rapsodo MLM2XPRO
- Rapsodo MLM2XPRO5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
What each one costs in the first year
The unit is not the whole cost. At list prices, with one year of the plan each one needs for simulator play and a year of GSPro ($250):
| Launch monitor | Unit and plan | First year with GSPro |
|---|---|---|
| Square Golf HE | $699, no plan | $949 |
| Garmin R10 | $599.99, no plan needed for GSPro | $849.99 |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | $699.99 and Premium $199.99 | $1,149.98 |
| Rapsodo MLM2XPRO | $899.99 and Core $199.99 | $1,349.98 |
GSPro needs a Windows gaming PC. Without one, the Square Golf, the R10 and the Rapsodos all run their own apps on a phone or tablet: the R10 plays Home Tee Hero with the $99.99 Garmin Golf membership, and the Rapsodos play Rapsodo's courses with Premium or Core. The iPhone launch monitor guide covers playing from a phone, ShotVision's camera app included. The golf simulator cost calculator adds the screen, projector, mat and computer, and how to build a budget golf simulator prices three whole builds.
Just over $1,000
- FlightScope Mevo Gen 2, $1,299: radar and a camera together, indoors and out, with no subscription from FlightScope and a free GSPro connection. GSVMEVO takes 5% off at FlightScope.
- Square Golf OMNI, $1,599: Square Golf's four-camera unit beside the ball, indoors and out, any ball with no markings, club head speed and impact location, and no subscription.
Every budget from here up is in GSV's best golf simulators guide.
Just over $1,000
- FlightScope Mevo Gen25% off at FlightScope with code GSVMEVO.
- Square Golf OMNI5% off at Square Golf with code GSVSQUARE.
A golf simulator under $1,000
A whole golf simulator under $1,000 is close, but not with every part new. The lowest build GSV priced in how to build a budget golf simulator, a Garmin R10 net bundle with a 10 x 7 ft net, plus a mat, came to just over $1,000 at Shop Indoor Golf's sale prices on October 7, 2026, even with GSVBUDGET taking $50 off the bundle. Under $1,000, the launch monitor is the part to spend on:
- Start with the launch monitor and the phone you have. The Square Golf HE, the Garmin R10 and both Rapsodos play courses in their own apps on a phone or tablet, with their memberships (Square Golf on credits), so the first simulator can be the launch monitor, a net and a mat, with the phone as the screen.
- Add the rest one part at a time. The launch monitor and the mat carry over when an impact screen, a projector and a PC come later.
- Pick it by the room. In a room under about 15 ft 6 in deep, the Square Golf HE, which sits beside the ball. With more depth, the Garmin R10 is the lowest-priced of the four.
Lay the whole build out in the GSV Sim Builder, and the cost calculator adds up each part as you go.
Is there a good launch monitor under $500?
Not among the launch monitors GSV recommends today. The lowest-priced of the four here, the Garmin R10, lists at $599.99. Under $500, the option GSV has tested is ShotVision, an app that uses the iPhone camera as the launch monitor: free with 30 shots, or Pro Access for $149.99 once on the App Store. In Jay's test it played GSPro, and carry and ball speed on wedges and irons looked right, but it reads no spin axis, so shots do not curve. The full test is in the iPhone launch monitor guide.
The units GSV filmed in 2020, further down this page, are older designs, and the four picks above are the ones GSV recommends. GSV tracks the shops' current offers on the golf simulator Black Friday deals page.
Which one is right for you
- A dedicated indoor simulator, in a garage, basement or spare room: the Square Golf HE. It fits the shortest room and has no subscription.
- A unit for the driving range as well as the simulator: the Garmin R10, or the MLM2PRO for swing video and measured spin.
- Swing improvement with video on every shot: the Rapsodo MLM2PRO.
- Putting: the Square Golf HE, which reads putts in Square Golf's app, or the MLM2XPRO, which putts out every hole in Rapsodo's simulation.
- The lowest cost to play GSPro: the Garmin R10, in a room at least 15 ft 6 in deep.
- A room under about 15 ft 6 in deep: a unit beside the ball. The Square Golf HE under $1,000, or the SkyTrak ST MAX above it, in SkyTrak vs Garmin R10.
More budget launch monitors GSV has filmed
Older budget units GSV tested in 2020. The picks above are the ones GSV recommends today.
PRGR
ES Tour Plus
Voice Caddie SC300
Free consultation with GSV's partner builders
Building a simulator on a budget? Jay works with official partners: master builders he hand-picked, who get on a call quickly and make sure the launch monitor, the room and the screen fit before you buy anything. They offer package deals on the whole build, DIY packages, full installation, and more. The consultation is free.
Launch monitors under $1,000: questions
What is the best launch monitor under $1,000?
For an indoor simulator, the Square Golf Home Edition at $699: it sits beside the ball, fits the shortest room, putts in its own app and has no subscription. For the range as well, the Garmin R10 at $599.99. For swing video and measured spin, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO at $699.99, and for putting with a radar unit, the MLM2XPRO at $899.99.
Which launch monitor under $1,000 is best for a small room?
The Square Golf Home Edition. It sits beside the ball, so it adds nothing to the depth of the room. In the GSV Sim Builder, a room 14 ft wide with a 10 ft ceiling needs at least 15 ft 6 in of depth for the Garmin R10 and 16 ft for a Rapsodo MLM2PRO, which sit behind the ball.
Do launch monitors under $1,000 need a subscription?
Square Golf lists none for the Home Edition. The Garmin R10 works without one, and its Garmin Golf membership, $99.99 a year, adds Home Tee Hero courses. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO needs Premium, $199.99 a year after the trial that comes with it, for spin, club data, courses and GSPro, and the MLM2XPRO needs Core, $199.99 a year, for the simulation and putting.
Which launch monitors under $1,000 work with GSPro?
All four. GSPro lists the Square Golf Home Edition, the Garmin R10 and the Rapsodo MLM2PRO as officially supported, and the MLM2PRO needs a Rapsodo Premium Membership for it. Rapsodo says the MLM2XPRO works with GSPro but has not said which membership it needs. GSPro itself is $250 a year and runs on a Windows PC.
Which launch monitors under $1,000 can putt?
The Square Golf Home Edition putts in its own app, and the Rapsodo MLM2XPRO putts in Rapsodo's simulation with its Core membership. The Garmin R10 and the Rapsodo MLM2PRO do not read putts: GSPro gives the putt.
Is the Garmin R10 still worth buying?
For a golfer who wants one unit for the range and the simulator, yes. It is the lowest-priced of the four at $599.99 list, on GSPro's list with no Garmin membership needed for it. Indoors it needs about 15 ft 6 in of depth in the GSV Sim Builder, and it calculates spin axis rather than reading it.
Is the Rapsodo MLM2XPRO worth it over the MLM2PRO?
For putting, yes. Both use the same two cameras and Doppler radar and list the same 15 figures. The MLM2XPRO adds putting in Rapsodo's simulation, a shot shown twice as fast, a screen on the unit and 12 RPT balls, for $200 more at list. Both memberships for simulator play are $199.99 a year.
What is the difference between a radar and a camera launch monitor?
A radar unit, such as the Garmin R10, sits behind the ball and tracks its flight, so it needs depth behind the golfer and some ball flight in front. A camera unit, such as the Square Golf Home Edition, photographs the ball at impact from beside it, so it fits a shorter room. The Rapsodos combine cameras with radar and sit behind the ball.
Can you build a golf simulator for under $1,000?
Close, but not with every part new. The lowest build GSV priced, a Garmin R10 net bundle plus a mat, came to just over $1,000 at Shop Indoor Golf's sale prices on October 7, 2026, even with the GSVBUDGET code. Under $1,000 buys the launch monitor: the Square Golf Home Edition at $699 or the Garmin R10 at $599.99, playing courses on the phone or tablet you already have with its app and plan, with the net and the mat added later.
Is there a good launch monitor under $500?
None of the four GSV recommends is under $500: the Garmin R10 is the lowest at $599.99 list. Under $500, GSV has tested ShotVision, an iPhone camera app that is free with 30 shots or $149.99 for Pro Access. It plays GSPro, but it reads no spin axis, so shots do not curve.
Is there a discount code for these launch monitors?
Yes. GSVSQUARE takes 5% off the Square Golf Home Edition at Square Golf USA, and SQUAREGSV works at SimSpace Golf in the UK and Europe. GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order of the Garmin R10, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO or the MLM2XPRO at Shop Indoor Golf, one use.
Build the rest of your sim
- Enclosure and screen$250 off at Shop Indoor GolfShop
- Carl's Place enclosure5% off, code sent by emailShopGet the code
- Hitting mat$20 off at Shop Indoor Golf. GSV5OFF is more on a first order over $400Shop
- Projector5% off at Shop Indoor Golf. First-time buyersShop
- Simulator computerSurfThing: $100 off applied automatically, no codeShop
- TouchscreenGSV code for TouchscreenGuruShop
- Complete package$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf. GSV5OFF is more on a first order over $5,000Shop
GSV earns a small commission on these links, at no extra cost to you. Shop Indoor Golf takes one code per order.