Comparison

CatchBuddy vs SmartFish US

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Hands-free fish counting
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Siri voice commands
  • Log catches effortlessly
  • Stay within fishing limits
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Relative weight calculation for largemouth bass
  • Data logging for catch and harvest
  • Supports fishery management strategies
  • Automatic data saving
  • Downloadable catch data
Features
Read full description

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

CatchBuddy4 screens
SmartFish US4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CatchBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SmartFish US asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CatchBuddy versus SmartFish US: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCatchBuddySmartFish US
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (130 ratings) — better4.3 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings130 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRalph HargisWade Bales

Customer experience

CatchBuddy

All ratings130 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

SmartFish US

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

CatchBuddy

One-time1
  • Pro Tier Unlock$6.99
None

SmartFish US

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CatchBuddy free?
CatchBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartFish US free?
SmartFish US is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CatchBuddy or SmartFish US?
CatchBuddy is rated higher. CatchBuddy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 130 ratings, while SmartFish US averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.
Do CatchBuddy or SmartFish US have ads?
Neither CatchBuddy nor SmartFish US shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CatchBuddy or SmartFish US?
CatchBuddy ships an update every 4 months, and SmartFish US every 7 months. Most recently, CatchBuddy was updated on November 2, 2026 and SmartFish US on November 6, 2026.

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