CatchBuddy vs SmartFish US
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CatchBuddy
This app transforms your Apple Watch into a hands-free fish counter. Use Siri voice commands to log your catches effortlessly, helping you stay within fishing limits. Designed for anglers of all skill levels.
- Hands-free fish counting
- Apple Watch integration
- Siri voice commands
- Log catches effortlessly
- Stay within fishing limits
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Count your catch without putting down the rod. CatchBuddy is the fish counter that keeps track of your limit by voice, from your wrist, or with a single tap. Forget the clicker in your pocket. Tell your phone to add a fish, double-pinch on your Apple Watch, or tap the widget on your Lock Screen. A clear gauge shows how close you are to your limit, and turns red if you go over. ▸ COUNT YOUR WAY • Big, easy buttons made for wet hands: Catch and Undo. • Siri voice commands: add a fish, add several, or hear your count. • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets with + and − buttons. • Set a limit and a species for each counter. ▸ ON YOUR WRIST • Tap or double-pinch on Apple Watch to log a fish. • Complications show your count on the watch face. ▸ REMEMBER EVERY TRIP • Start a trip and CatchBuddy logs the time of every catch. • Browse saved trips by date or by water. • Export your trips as a spreadsheet. ▸ CATCHBUDDY PRO • One purchase, no subscription. Pro adds: • A second counter, so you can count two species or track released fish. • Spots: save where you caught fish, see them on a map, and get guided straight back across open water. Share them as GPX files. • Local weather, wind, pressure, sunrise and sunset. • Live Activities: your count and trip clock on the Lock Screen. • Chartplotter link: connect to a Lowrance, Simrad or B&G unit over Wi-Fi and save water temperature and depth with every catch and spot. • AI Trip Insights on devices with Apple Intelligence: your best waters, times and depths. • Trip backup and restore with iCloud Drive. • Unlimited counting on Apple Watch. ▸ MADE FOR THE WATER • Light and dark appearance, portrait and landscape. • Your trips and spots are stored on your iPhone.
SmartFish US
This app helps anglers assess largemouth bass health by calculating relative weight, a crucial metric for fishery management. It offers data logging to save catch and harvest information for later analysis and strategic decision-making.
- Relative weight calculation for largemouth bass
- Data logging for catch and harvest
- Supports fishery management strategies
- Automatic data saving
- Downloadable catch data
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The SmartFish app computes relative weight for largemouth bass, a key metric used by fishery professionals to determine which fish to harvest. A data logging option is available that automatically saves catch and harvest data for later download and use in management strategies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartFish US at none against CatchBuddy's 1. SmartFish US also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). CatchBuddy's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (130 vs 6). 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. CatchBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SmartFish US asks for nothing beyond the download.
CatchBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CatchBuddy has 130 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of CatchBuddy's written reviews are positive against 67% of SmartFish US's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
CatchBuddy ships an update every 4 months, SmartFish US every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CatchBuddy | SmartFish US |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (130 ratings) — better | 4.3 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 130 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ralph Hargis | Wade Bales |
Customer experience
CatchBuddy
SmartFish US
In-app purchases
CatchBuddy
- Pro Tier Unlock$6.99
SmartFish US
No in-app purchases








