Comparison

Subsurface vs Lagoon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Mobile dive log management
  • Edit dive data
  • Download from Bluetooth LE dive computers
  • Optional cloud synchronization
  • Open-source and free
Read full description

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.

About

Lagoon

Features
Read full description

A logbook that feels like a memory, not a form. After a dive, the last thing you want is a form to fill out. With Lagoon, you just talk. Describe your dive out loud - the wreck you found, the turtle that swam past, how cold the water was - and Lagoon turns it into a clean, complete log entry: site, depth, duration, conditions, and the story, all in one place. Built for the vacation diver, not the logbook nerd. Lagoon is made for the diver who dives 10-50 times a year on trips, not the technical diver tracking every gas mix. It's fast, it's forgiving, and it makes your dives worth looking back on. What Lagoon does for you: - Voice-to-log: speak after a dive and Lagoon writes it up for you, tagging species and milestones as it listens - Auto site detection: Lagoon uses your location to suggest the dive site, no typing required - A dive card for every dive: a beautiful, shareable summary, perfect for your dive buddies or your feed - Your whole dive world: browse your logbook as a list or spin the globe to see everywhere you've been - Full data ownership: export everything, anytime - your dives are yours - Light gear and certification tracking, so you don't need three apps Free to start. Lagoon is free to download and log your dives. If you want unlimited dives forever, unlock it once for $19.99 - no subscription, ever. Made by a diver, for divers. Lagoon is built by a small, independent team who would rather you remember your dives than manage them.

Screenshots

Subsurface4 screens
Lagoon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Subsurface at none against Lagoon's 1. Lagoon's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lagoon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Subsurface asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Subsurface ships an update every 2 months, Lagoon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Subsurface versus Lagoon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubsurfaceLagoon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (48 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings48 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS1715.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDirk HohndelJuan Zuluaga

In-app purchases

None

Subsurface

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Lagoon

One-time1
  • Lagoon — unlimited, forever$19.99

Questions

Is Subsurface free?
Subsurface is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lagoon free?
Lagoon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Subsurface or Lagoon have ads?
Neither Subsurface nor Lagoon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Subsurface or Lagoon?
Subsurface ships an update every 2 months, and Lagoon every 3 weeks. Most recently, Subsurface was updated on October 22, 2026 and Lagoon on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons