# CatchBuddy vs SmartFish US

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | CatchBuddy | SmartFish US |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (130 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catchbuddy-fish-counter-app/id1451467654/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfish-us/id1451605163/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **130** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 26 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ralph Hargis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1294492053) | [Wade Bales](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451605162) |

## What reviewers say

### CatchBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catchbuddy-fish-counter-app/id1451467654)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Tier Unlock | $6.99 | one-time |


### SmartFish US

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfish-us/id1451605163)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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