Subsurface vs Diveplanner Tec & Rec
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.
Diveplanner Tec & Rec
Plan complex recreational and technical dives with advanced decompression models and multi-gas support. Log your dives, manage gas blends, and restore underwater photo colors. Syncs across Apple devices.
- Bühlmann ZH-L16C and Thalmann decompression models
- Open circuit and CCR dive planning
- Multi-gas decompression support
- Contingency plan computation
- Gas blending and cylinder management
- Underwater photo color correction
- Bluetooth dive computer data import
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Diveplanner Tec & Rec plans recreational and technical dives, on open circuit or closed circuit rebreather (CCR), in a few taps, and keeps your logbook. PLAN • Bühlmann ZH-L16C decompression model with your gradient factors, or the Thalmann algorithm of the U.S. Navy: VVal-79 for air and nitrox, XVal-He-9 for heliox CCR dives; compare a plan with both • Open circuit and CCR, down to 300 m / 985 ft, in salt, fresh or EN 13319 water, at sea level or at altitude • Multi-level dives, multi-gas decompression with automatic or chosen switch depths • Contingency plans computed for you: deeper, longer, lost deco gas, GF 100 and the CCR bailout • Warnings for ppO2, END, gas density, isobaric counter diffusion, CNS and OTU • The decompression chart of each plan: the profile, the tissues' ceilings at GF 100 and at your gradient factors, the leading tissue • A dive day of as many repetitive dives as you need, with their surface intervals • Saved plans in folders, shared as files GAS • Describe your cylinders: the plan gives the pressure at the end of the dive, the turn pressure, the rock bottom and the maximum bottom time your gas allows • Gas needed by volume and weight, per gas TABLES • Dive tables by depth and bottom time for your own gases, gradient factors and conditions, with the previous dives of the day • Share or print the table as a PDF TOOLS • Gas blender: partial pressure blending of nitrox, trimix and heliox from what is left in the cylinder, ideal or real gas; the best mix for a depth from your ppO2, END and gas density limits, and the cylinder label • Tides: the tide of a day anywhere at sea, from the nearest NOAA tide station or the EOT20 global tide model, its high and low waters, and the tidal currents and slack waters of a nearby current station, read to the minute on the chart • Photo colors: restore the true colors of your underwater photos and videos, their blue or green cast, haze and missing red corrected, with the depth of your logged dive; compare before and after, then save or share LOGBOOK • Log your dives by hand, from a plan, or download them over Bluetooth from a Shearwater dive computer (Petrel 2, Perdix, Perdix AI, Nerd 2, Teric, Peregrine), with the profile, stops, gases and sensor values • Photos, dive sites on a map, statistics, tags, search and filters • Synchronised between your iPhone, iPad and Mac with iCloud • Export to UDDF, Subsurface, CSV, a PDF logbook and .divelog archives; import UDDF and Subsurface SHARE • Ready-to-cut dive schedules as a PDF, for your buddy or your slate: every plan, the gas and cylinders, CNS, OTU and warnings EVERYWHERE • iPhone, iPad and Mac • Metric or imperial units • In 12 languages, each with its user guide LICENCES • Rec, free: one gas, air or nitrox up to 40 %, down to 66 m / 210 ft • Tec Basic: up to 3 gases, nitrox up to 100 %, normoxic trimix and triox • Tec Advanced: unlimited gases and depth, hypoxic trimix • Try every feature free for 2 weeks Diveplanner is a planning aid. It does not replace training, experience, a dive computer or your own judgement: always dive within the limits of your certification.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Subsurface at 4.5 against Diveplanner Tec & Rec's 3.1. Subsurface also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (63% vs 43%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Diveplanner Tec & Rec sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Subsurface asks for nothing beyond the download.
Subsurface holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subsurface has 48 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Subsurface's written reviews are positive against 43% of Diveplanner Tec & Rec's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Subsurface | Diveplanner Tec & Rec |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (48 ratings) — better | 3.1 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews — better | 42.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 48 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dirk Hohndel | Sensetrails LLC |
Customer experience
Subsurface
Diveplanner Tec & Rec
In-app purchases
Subsurface
No in-app purchases
Diveplanner Tec & Rec
- Two weeks free trialFree
- Tec Basic$7.99
- Tec Advanced$19.99
Questions
Is Subsurface free?
Is Diveplanner Tec & Rec free?
Which has better reviews, Subsurface or Diveplanner Tec & Rec?
Do Subsurface or Diveplanner Tec & Rec have ads?
Which is updated more often, Subsurface or Diveplanner Tec & Rec?
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