Practical guide
Sports video analysis apps: Draw apps, Onform, and CoachNow
Choose a local Draw app when you want to review and annotate footage on your own iPhone or iPad. Choose a coaching platform when shared accounts, cloud libraries, and ongoing coach-athlete communication are the main job. Those workflows overlap in video tools but differ in how people work together.
Written by David Balderston, developer of the Draw apps below. This is a workflow and purchase comparison, not an independent test of coaching effectiveness or tracking accuracy. Sources and U.S. prices were checked on October 10, 2026.
Released Draw apps
| App | Sport and review workflow | U.S. price | Minimum iPhone/iPad OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| SwingDraw | Golf; frame stepping, drawing, body and swing-path overlays, comparison, and notes | $14.99 once | 17.6 |
| BaseballDraw | Hitting and pitching video; drawing, body overlays, comparison, and notes | $7.99 once | 18.0 |
| TennisDraw | Tennis clip review; drawing, body overlays, comparison, and notes | $7.99 once | 17.6 |
| Basketball Draw | Basketball clip review; drawing, body overlays, comparison, and notes | $7.99 once | 17.6 |
All four are available on Apple’s App Store, have no subscription or in-app purchases, and keep their video libraries on device unless the user exports or shares. They do not provide team cloud libraries, cross-device cloud sync, or remote coaching accounts. Sources: Apple listings for SwingDraw
Scan with your iPhone, BaseballDraw, TennisDraw, and Basketball Draw.
When a local review tool is enough
You may need only to show one checkpoint during a lesson, compare two practice attempts, or send a short annotated video. A local app lets you do that without organizing a team account or buying a recurring plan. The exported media is a normal photo or video; the recipient does not need to buy the app to watch it.
Filming matters. Keep the camera view consistent, retain the original, and align the same point in the movement before comparing. See the golf filming checklist, baseball guide library, tennis filming guide, and basketball filming guide.
When Onform or CoachNow is a better fit
| Platform | Main reason to consider it | Current entry points to check |
|---|---|---|
| Onform | Coach-athlete messaging, cloud video feedback, organized libraries, and plan-dependent capture/measurement integrations | Athlete Standard $9.99/month or $99.99/year; coach plans from $19.99/month; connected-athlete access differs |
| CoachNow | Shared coaching Spaces/Groups, video analysis, and ongoing communication | Analyze $9.99/month or $59/year with five Spaces/Groups and a 250-media allowance; broader plans separate |
Sources: Onform’s pricing and feature matrix and CoachNow pricing. Check the coach and athlete sides of the plan, storage limits, supported devices, trial terms, and the purchase screen. A recurring price buys a collaboration workflow as well as analysis tools.
If a coach already uses one of these platforms, staying in that shared system may be more convenient than sending separate exported files. A one-time local app does not replace that relationship or cloud organization.
What an overlay does and does not establish
The Draw apps provide visual references in a camera image. Filming perspective, motion blur, visibility, and tracking quality affect the result. A 2D angle is not a calibrated 3D measurement, and an automatic overlay is not a diagnosis of technique, performance, or injury risk.
If you need measured ball or bat data, choose and verify the measuring device and its integration. Onform, for example, publishes external radar integrations for certain plans. Do not infer measured speed from the presence of a drawing or tracking tool.
Questions to answer before buying
- Am I reviewing locally or maintaining a shared coaching relationship?
- Do I need cloud access on several devices, or is one device’s library enough?
- Can the recipient watch a normal exported video, or do they need an interactive shared workspace?
- Are the required drawing, comparison, and export tools included in the plan I will actually buy?
- Is my question visible in ordinary video, or does it require measurement hardware and qualified interpretation?
For current product details, use TennisDraw facts, Basketball Draw facts, SwingDraw facts, and BaseballDraw facts. Only released Draw apps are compared here; upcoming apps are listed separately on the portfolio homepage.