# H2O vs Cactus

The clearest difference is rating: Cactus at 5.0 against H2O's 4.5. Cactus also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). H2O's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (166 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. H2O sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Cactus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cactus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: H2O has 166 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

H2O ships an update every 3 days, Cactus every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | H2O | Cactus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/h2o-water-tracker/id1161140846/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cactus-water-tracker-reminder/id6760417601/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 84.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 48 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lunarbits LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6799532918) | [Alexandre Jouanne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880834583) |

## What reviewers say

### H2O

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/h2o-water-tracker/id1161140846)

This application helps you monitor your daily water consumption to ensure you stay adequately hydrated. It offers a visually appealing interface with features for quickly logging intake and reviewing your progress.

**Highlights:** Log water intake quickly, Preset water amounts, Weekly intake graph, Full history of entries, HealthKit integration, Intuitive interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| H2O Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| H2O Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| H2O Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| H2O Pro Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💰 Free to use
- 🚫 Ad-free experience
- ✨ Clean and minimalist design
- 🚀 Quick and easy logging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes when accessing settings
- 🐛 App shuts off when accessing settings
- 🐛 Graph feature not working
- 💡 Missing reminder notifications
- 💡 Cannot edit previous day's entries

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when accessing settings
- App shuts off when accessing settings
- Graph feature not working
- App closes when goal is reached
- Glitches when reaching goal

**Requested features**

- Add reminder notifications
- Allow editing of previous day's entries
- Add metric units (ml/L)
- Add widget support
- Add export to HealthKit option


### Cactus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cactus-water-tracker-reminder/id6760417601)

This app simplifies hydration tracking with quick logging, personalized goals, and smart reminders. Watch a virtual cactus flourish as you meet your daily water intake targets, making healthy habits rewarding and stress-free.

**Highlights:** Quick drink logging, Personalized daily hydration goals, Smart, schedule-aware reminders, Visual progress with a growing cactus, Detailed history and stats, Tracking for 9 drink types

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Cactus Ads | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is H2O free?

H2O is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cactus free?

Cactus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, H2O or Cactus?

Cactus is rated higher. H2O averages 4.5 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Cactus averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do H2O or Cactus have ads?

Cactus shows ads; H2O does not.

### Which is updated more often, H2O or Cactus?

H2O ships an update every 3 days, and Cactus every 2 weeks. Most recently, H2O was updated on October 29, 2026 and Cactus on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*