PlayerMaker is a well-made product. But at £240+ upfront and ongoing monthly fees, it isn't right for every family. Skill Track Pro is a different approach — and for many parents, a better fit.
Before comparing the two, it helps to understand that these apps capture fundamentally different types of data. Neither is a replacement for the other — they answer different questions about your child's development.
Foot-mounted sensors sample 1,000 times per second. The device runs automatically — no human operator needed. It answers: how far, how fast, and how many?
A parent watches the match and taps to record each action. It answers: what decisions did they make, and how did those decisions turn out?
Beyond what they measure, there are real practical differences that affect whether the product works for your family day to day.
| Feature | PlayerMaker | Skill Track Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Works with your existing phone (no hardware purchase) | ||
| Cost | ~£240 + £20/month | £4.99 once |
| Works offline (no signal needed) | ||
| No account or login required | ||
| Data stays on your device | ||
| Dedicated goalkeeper tracking | ||
| Pass success & direction data | ||
| Shot zone placement (3x3 grid) | ||
| Sprint speed & distance | ||
| Runs automatically without operator | ||
| Season-long progress charts | ||
| Season bookmarking & end-of-season report | ||
| Available on iOS & Android | iOS only |
Skill Track Pro has a full Goalkeeper mode you can switch to mid-match. It tracks the four actions that matter most for keeper development — with the level of detail that reveals real patterns over a season.
Records exactly where in the goal each save is made using a 3x3 zone grid. Build a heat map of save distribution across a full season.
Tracks claim type (cross or through ball) and location (in box or out of box). See where your keeper is most — and least — confident.
Records whether long kicks reach a teammate. Tracks success rate to build a picture of goal kick and long pass quality.
Tracks success on short passes played out from the back — essential for modern keeper development and playing out under pressure.
The hardware purchase includes 12 months of app access. After that, the subscription renews. Here's what three years of tracking your child's development looks like.
Regardless of the price difference, there are real-world reasons parents find Skill Track Pro the better fit for grassroots football.
Foot sensors go into kit bags, get left at grounds, run out of battery. Skill Track Pro runs on the phone you're already holding on the touchline.
Nothing is uploaded to any server. No account. No email address. Just first names on your own device — designed for children's privacy from the start.
Many grassroots pitches have poor or no mobile signal. Skill Track Pro stores everything locally — it works just as well with no internet connection.
A sensor knows a kick happened. A parent watching knows it was a 30-yard diagonal under pressure that found a teammate. That context is what drives development conversations.
PlayerMaker tells you how far your child ran and how fast they kicked the ball. It cannot tell you whether their passing accuracy is improving, whether they're winning more challenges, or whether their shot placement is getting sharper. These are the skills that respond to focused work — and the skills Skill Track Pro measures.
Accuracy improves with repetition and feedback. Seeing a number like "72% of passes completed" gives your child something concrete to work on — and a target to beat next match.
Season heatmaps reveal patterns: does your child always shoot to the same zone? Awareness of where shots land is the first step toward putting them where the goalkeeper isn't.
Taking on defenders is one of the most improvable skills in football. Tracking whether inside or outside moves are working better gives your child a real focus for training sessions.
Five challenge types (ball won, block, clearance, over commit, under commit) reveal whether a player is too eager or too cautious — exactly the nuanced feedback that shapes a defender's game.
PlayerMaker records physical data match by match. Skill Track Pro tracks technical skills across an entire season, so you can see whether your child is genuinely improving — not just performing well on one particular day.
A child who won 6 out of 10 challenges is doing well — unless they won 8 last month. Season reports show the trajectory: is pass accuracy climbing, plateauing, or dipping? That's what tells you where to focus next.
Your child attempted 14 passes and won 7 challenges today. Most parents don't know. Skill Track Pro captures every attempt so you can show your child the full extent of what they did — before they convince themselves it wasn't a good game.
Generate a full season report: success rate line chart across every match, dribble direction breakdown, challenge outcome breakdown, and shot zone heatmap. The kind of summary that makes a season's growth tangible and shareable.
Children who fixate on mistakes need more than encouragement — they need numbers. "You made 14 passes and won 7 challenges" changes the conversation. Especially when the numbers get better every month.
Skill Track Pro. PlayerMaker measures ball-touch speed and kick power — useful data, but it doesn't give a 10-year-old anything specific to practise at home. Knowing their dribble success rate is 60% going outside but only 40% going inside is something they can actually drill. Knowing their shots cluster top-right means they can deliberately practise the other zones. Technical metrics turn match data into practice goals — that's the difference between a number on a screen and real development.
One-time purchase. No subscription. No hardware. Start tracking at your next match.
£4.99 one-time · iOS now · Android coming soon · No subscription · No hardware