# Smart Reef vs Hydor App

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hydor App at none against Smart Reef's 11. Hydor App also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Reef sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Hydor App asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.5 for Smart Reef against 1.4 for Hydor App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 51 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 4% of Smart Reef's written reviews are positive against 10% of Hydor App's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Reef | Hydor App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.5 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-reef/id1480355166/reviews)** | [1.4 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydor-app/id1577972620/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 23 | **51** |
| Positive reviews | 3.8% of reviews | **10.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reef Factory sp. z o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367901113) | [Ferplast S.p.a.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1577972622) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Reef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-reef/id1480355166)

Manage your marine aquarium with this app. It provides device management, alerts for issues, and detailed historical data. A central dashboard offers a clear overview of your aquarium's status and device operations.

**Highlights:** Device management, Aquarium alerts, Measurement history, Operational status dashboard, Planned job journal, Preset sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Warranty 3 years | $12.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $17.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $19.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $24.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $29.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $34.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $39.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $49.99 | one-time |


### Hydor App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydor-app/id1577972620)

Remotely manage and configure your aquarium devices from anywhere. Set daily programs, create personalized device sets, and receive status notifications to keep your aquarium running smoothly.

**Highlights:** Remote Wi-Fi device management, Configure daily programs, Create personalized device sets, Real-time status notifications, Manage multiple devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Reef free?

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

### Is Hydor App free?

Hydor App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Smart Reef or Hydor App?

Smart Reef is rated higher. Smart Reef averages 1.5 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Hydor App averages 1.4 from 51 ratings.

### Do Smart Reef or Hydor App have ads?

Neither Smart Reef nor Hydor App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Reef or Hydor App?

Smart Reef ships an update every 3 months, and Hydor App every 3 months. Most recently, Smart Reef was updated on October 20, 2026 and Hydor App on October 15, 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.*