The Quick Verdict
Get the Bushnell LPi. The SkyTrak+ is discontinued — stock is drying up, software updates have stopped, and recommending it as a primary pick doesn't make sense when you can't reliably buy one new. The LPi is $500 cheaper at MSRP, uses three-camera photometric tracking for genuine spin data, and is still in active development. The SkyTrak+ is worth hunting down on closeout if you find one at a steep discount and need outdoor capability — that's the one thing the LPi can't do. But if you're shopping for a permanent indoor setup, the LPi is the straightforward call. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Both are app-dependent — no built-in displays, so you're pairing either with a tablet or PC. Both use camera-based measurement for ball data, both track spin without requiring special balls or metallic stickers, and both are aimed at serious sim-room builds rather than casual range use. Neither has a battery, which tells you these are meant to live in a dedicated space.
Where They Differ
Technology: Cameras vs. Fusion
The LPi uses three high-speed cameras (Bushnell calls it "triscopic photometric"), which means it's reading the actual ball at impact. That approach is reliable for spin — what you see is what the ball actually did. No estimation.
The SkyTrak+ pairs dual Doppler radar with photometric cameras, a fusion approach that theoretically extends accuracy to outdoor use. Radar can track the full ball flight in open air; cameras handle close-range spin data. On paper that's a broader capability set. In practice, it required an active product roadmap to fully realize — and that roadmap is now frozen.
Indoor vs. Outdoor
This is the clearest split. The LPi is strictly indoor. No exceptions — it won't function outdoors. The SkyTrak+ was built for both.
If your setup is a dedicated sim room or garage bay, you'll never notice the LPi's limitation. If you wanted something you could haul to a real range on weekends, the LPi isn't your answer. The SkyTrak+ was. That capability is why some buyers are still willing to chase closeout stock.
What You're Paying for — and Paying Ongoing
LPi sticker price: $1,999.99. Then there's the subscription: Silver at $199/year or Gold at $499/year. There's no free tier — without a subscription, you're not getting data. Over three years at Silver, you're at $2,600. At Gold, $3,500.
The SkyTrak+ listed at $2,495 MSRP, with a SkyTrak membership required for course play. Pricing on that membership isn't in the current data, so I won't guess — but budget for it.
The LPi's mandatory subscription is the biggest real-world friction point here. If your internet goes down for two weeks, you're locked out of your own data until it reconnects. That's not hypothetical — it's how photometric subscription units work. Worth knowing before you commit.
Subscription Software and Sim Access
The LPi runs on FSX Play, Bushnell's sim platform. That's what's included (at the appropriate tier). The SkyTrak+ connected to E6 Connect and GSPro — two of the more popular third-party platforms, with large course libraries.
GSPro in particular has a passionate community and frequent updates. If you already own a GSPro license, the SkyTrak+ would have played nicely with it. The LPi's FSX Play ecosystem is capable, but different.
Club Data
The LPi tracks club speed and smash factor. For club path and face angle, it requires club face stickers. Those aren't legal in competition, but for a sim room it's a non-issue. The SkyTrak+ tracked club path and face angle without stickers.
Who Should Buy Which
Bushnell LPi
- You're building a dedicated indoor sim room and want camera-based spin data you can trust.
- You've accepted that subscriptions are part of the cost of ownership and budgeted accordingly.
- You want a product that still has an active support and development pipeline.
- You don't care about ever using it at a real range — this is a sim-only tool.
SkyTrak+ (closeout only)
- You find it at a significantly reduced closeout price — say, $1,500 or under — and outdoor use matters enough to justify the trade-offs.
- You already have a SkyTrak membership or E6/GSPro licenses and want to stay in that ecosystem.
- You understand what discontinued means: no future updates, no warranty assurance, and the SkyTrak app continues only as long as the company maintains it.
The Bottom Line
The LPi is the better buy for anyone setting up a new indoor sim in 2025 or 2026. It's $500 cheaper at retail, uses proven three-camera photometric tracking, and isn't going anywhere. The mandatory subscription is genuinely annoying — Silver at $199/year is the minimum, Gold at $499/year if you want the full feature set — but you know that going in and can plan for it.
The SkyTrak+ had real appeal when it was current: fusion tracking, outdoor capability, GSPro support. None of that disappears overnight after discontinuation. But buying a discontinued launch monitor as your primary sim setup is a bet on how long the supporting software stays maintained, and that's not a bet worth making at full price.