Subsurface vs Garmin Dive™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Subsurface
This application allows divers to manage their dive logs on their mobile devices. It supports editing dive data and downloading new information from compatible dive computers. Optional cloud synchronization is available for seamless data transfer with desktop versions.
- Mobile dive log management
- Edit dive data
- Download from Bluetooth LE dive computers
- Optional cloud synchronization
- Open-source and free
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Subsurface-mobile is an iOS dive log application based on Subsurface, the best free open source dive log application available on Windows, Mac and Linux. Subsurface-mobile allows you to access your dive log on your tablet or phone, edit the data and even download new dive information from many Bluetooth LE enabled dive computers. Using a free Subsurface Cloud Storage account you can synchronize your dive data with the Subsurface desktop application (while significantly increasing the usefulness, the cloud account is not required to use Subsurface-mobile). To get support from the developers, please use the in-app menu entry "Ask for support" Please check out the Subsurface-mobile user manual: https://subsurface-divelog.org/documentation/subsurface-mobile-v3-user-manual (also available from within the app) Subsurface-mobile is free and open source. No ads, no commercial anything. And it comes with free cloud storage (if you decide to use that - it's optional). Your data aren't used for anything, nothing gets monetized.
Garmin Dive™
This app serves as a comprehensive diving logbook and planning tool. It automatically records dive data, tracks gas consumption, and supports various diving disciplines. Users can also discover dive sites, manage gear, and share experiences with a community.
- Automatic dive logging
- Gas consumption tracking
- Support for multiple dive types
- Interactive dive site maps
- Gear and service tracking
- Real-time diver monitoring
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Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver, Garmin Dive is the ultimate diving companion. Once you pair your phone with a Descent™ dive computer or another compatible Garmin device¹, you can enjoy powerful features like: • Automatic dive logging and gas consumption tracking • Support for recreational and technical scuba diving, including single-gas, multi-gas and closed-circuit rebreather diving • Support for freediving, including apnea, apnea hunt and pool apnea • Interactive maps and dive site search • Viewing and sharing ratings and photos of your dive sites with the community • Tracking dive gear, service intervals and diver certifications • Monitoring other divers in real time with an added Garmin Descent S1 buoy However you enjoy diving, you can plan, log and review your dives with the Garmin Dive app. ¹See a full list of compatible devices at garmin.com/dive Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Privacy Policy: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/privacy/dive/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Garmin Dive™ at 4.8 against Subsurface's 4.5. Garmin Dive™ also leads on ratings volume (852 vs 48). Subsurface's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 50%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Garmin Dive™ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Dive™ has 852 ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Subsurface's written reviews are positive against 50% of Garmin Dive™'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Subsurface ships an update every 2 months, Garmin Dive™ every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Subsurface | Garmin Dive™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (48 ratings) | 4.8 (852 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews — better | 49.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 48 | 852 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 505 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dirk Hohndel | Garmin |
Customer experience
Subsurface
Garmin Dive™
Bugs and requests
Subsurface
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Garmin Dive™
Reported bugs
6 issues- Cannot save dive logs
- Dive sites not found in the app
- Randomly missing dive logs
- Photos not displayed chronologically
- Sync issues with Mk2i device
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- Inability to delete dives and have numbers update automatically
Requested features
6 requests- Dive planner in the app
- Export dive data to other apps
- Ability to combine short dives
- Import dive logs from other software
- More detailed statistics and analytics
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- Offline mode for dive logging
In-app purchases
Subsurface
No in-app purchases
Garmin Dive™
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Subsurface free?
Is Garmin Dive™ free?
Which has better reviews, Subsurface or Garmin Dive™?
Do Subsurface or Garmin Dive™ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Subsurface or Garmin Dive™?
Other comparisons
