Trace vs Hudl: automatic player highlights or a full club film room (2026)
Trace is the better pick for families and coaches. Every player's highlights are made for you with no tagging, coaches get playlists ready to use, and a yearly plan is $180 with the camera included.
Hudl is a film platform sold to schools and clubs. Club soccer plans are $500 to $2,500 per team per year, the camera is quoted separately, and automatic player playlists need a paid add-on.
Trace vs Hudl at a glance
| Trace | Hudl | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, yearly | $180 Basic or $300 Pro. Camera included. | Per team: Core $500 (club package only), Plus $1,000, Premier $2,500. |
| Price, monthly | $25 Basic or $35 Pro, plus $99 one-time lease fee. | No.No monthly option published. |
| Camera and hardware cost | Yes.$0. Camera, 16 ft tripod and cases are leased. Free to renew. | No.Focus Flex price not published. Tripod and 4G plan extra. |
| What is included | Recording, cloud storage, AI highlights, PlayerCam. Pro adds every game, analytics, downloads. | Unlimited accounts, livestreaming, breakdowns, playlists, athlete profiles. |
| Individual player highlights | Yes.Automatic for every rostered player. No tagging. | Partly.Athletes clip their own. Assist+ add-on automates it. |
| Team-wide footage | Yes.Full game plus tactical highlights. | Yes.Full team film. Hudl's core. |
| Livestreaming | Yes.Included, no extra cost. Fixed wide view. In beta. | Yes.Included in club tiers. Viewers pay what the team sets. |
| Live moments pushed to phones | Yes.Goal clips and photos during the game. | No.Not published. |
| Coach tools | Yes.Coach playlist, tactical plays, analytics on Pro. | Yes.Draw, tag, playlists. AI summaries on Plus, scouting on Premier. |
| College recruiting and sharing | Yes.Trace iD: one link that updates itself. | Yes.Recruiting profiles. College Search on Premier. |
| Setup effort | Tripod at midfield, start from the app. No tagging, no editing. | Focus Flex: tripod, calibrate in app. Fixed Focus: permanent mount. |
| Built for | Families and coaches. Every player's highlights, no editing. | Schools and clubs buying team film. |
Last verified: October 19, 2026. USD before tax, list prices from each company's site. Sources at the end of the page.
Pricing compared: Trace vs Hudl
Hudl prices the team and quotes the camera. Trace prices one family and includes the camera. See Trace pricing.
Who should pick Trace, and who Hudl is built for
Who should pick Trace?
- Parents tired of clipping film every week.
- Coaches who want every player's clips and tactical plays without an analyst.
- Families and coaches who want to start now, without a club contract.
Who Hudl is built for
- Schools and clubs that buy film for every team.
- Programs that pay analysts to tag games.
- Schools with fixed fields for permanent cameras.
Features compared: what you get with Trace vs Hudl
Every player gets their own clips
PlayerFocus finds each rostered player and cuts their moments. PlayerCam keeps them centered at up to 4x zoom.
Athletes build their own reels, or the club pays for Assist+ to get each athlete a playlist after the breakdown.
Goals land on your phone mid-game
Clips, photos and text of goals and key plays, sent while the game is on. Soccer and basketball, with the livestream running.
We found no Hudl feature that sends goal alerts during the game.
Stream from the same camera
Included at no extra cost. A fixed, wide view of the field from the Trace camera. Viewers watch free by link. In beta.
Included in club tiers. Streams go to Hudl TV, and viewers pay what the team sets. Hudl's example is $8 a game.
One link for college coaches
Trace iD collects a player's moments in one link that updates itself. College coaches can click through to the full game. How one player used her Trace iD to get recruited.
Recruiting profiles many college coaches know. College Search and Contact on Premier.
Setup and effort
Tripod at midfield
Raise the 16 ft tripod 4 to 5 steps off the midfield line. Add the sandbags.
Start from the app
Tap Trace a game 15 to 20 minutes before kickoff.
Walk away
Clips for every player land within hours. Nobody tags or edits.
Focus Flex is portable: set up the tripod, calibrate in the app, start recording. Fixed Focus cameras mount once and record on schedule.
What coaches say
Our parents were on board immediately because they had been using HUDL and were having issues clipping and editing video all the time.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trace or Hudl better for youth soccer?
Trace. Every player's highlights are made automatically, coaches get playlists with no tagging, and it costs $180 a year with the camera included. Hudl club plans are $500 to $2,500 per team per year, plus a camera quoted by sales.
How much does Hudl cost for a club soccer team?
Hudl lists Core at $500, Plus at $1,000 and Premier at $2,500 per team per year for club soccer. Core is only sold in a club package. The camera is quoted separately.
How much is a Hudl Focus Flex camera?
Hudl does not publish a Focus Flex price. You contact sales. The tripod and a 4G data plan are extra.
Does Hudl make highlights for every player automatically?
Not on the base plans. Athletes build their own reels, or clubs pay for Assist+, which sends each athlete a playlist after the breakdown. Trace does this for every rostered player on every plan.
Can parents buy Trace without the club?
Yes. Any family or coach can start a Trace plan on their own.
Does Hudl send goal clips to phones during the game?
We found no Hudl feature that does this. Trace sends goal clips, photos and text during soccer and basketball games.
Which is better for college recruiting?
Trace iD gives each player one link that updates itself with new moments, and college coaches can watch the full game behind every clip. Hudl offers recruiting profiles, with College Search on its top tier.
Keep comparing
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Trace vs PixellotA camera in your bag, or broadcast-style video.
Best soccer cameras for youth teamsSix cameras ranked by who they fit.
How automated game analysis worksKickoff to clips, step by step.
Best soccer livestreaming for clubsWhat streaming really costs.Sources and how we check
Show all sources
Every competitor price and feature comes from the company's own site. "Not published" means we could not find it there. We re-check at least every 30 days. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
- Trace: Pricing and plans. https://traceup.com/pricing
- Trace: Live updates during the game. https://traceup.com/product-features/live-updates
- Trace: PlayerCam, ready within hours. https://traceup.com/product-features/playercam
- Trace: Livestreaming (beta) FAQ. https://support.traceup.com/content/livestreaming-beta-faq
- Trace: Trace iD FAQ. https://support.traceup.com/content/trace-id-faqs
- Trace: Coach and tactical playlists. https://support.traceup.com/content/playerfocus-coach-and-tactical-playlists
- Hudl: Club soccer pricing (Core, Plus, Premier). https://www.hudl.com/pricing/club/soccer
- Hudl: Focus Flex portable camera. https://www.hudl.com/products/focus/flex
- Hudl: Focus Flex FAQ. https://www.hudl.com/products/focus/faq/portable
- Hudl: Hudl Focus cameras. https://www.hudl.com/products/focus
- Hudl: Hudl Assist for soccer. https://www.hudl.com/products/assist/soccer
- Hudl: Hudl TV livestream pricing guide. https://www.hudl.com/support/hudltv/guides/promoting-your-hudltv-livestreams
- Hudl: Athlete recruiting profile. https://www.hudl.com/support/athletes-guide-to-hudl/guides/player-profile
- Hudl: Hudl for club soccer. https://www.hudl.com/solutions/club/soccer
