Comparison

Reef Buddy vs TUNZE

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

Head to head
About

Reef Buddy

Easily log, monitor, and analyze your saltwater aquarium's critical parameters. Get smart insights and personalized advice to maintain a healthy reef tank. Syncs across devices and offers guidance for manual test results.

Highlights
  • Log critical aquarium parameters
  • Monitor KH, salinity, pH, Ca, Mg, and more
  • Analyze data with automated insights
  • Sync data across iPhone and iPad
  • Guidance for manual test kit results
  • Personalized advice with premium subscription
Features
Read full description

Reef Buddy – Track Your Reef Tank With Confidence Reef Buddy is the reef tracker and water test log built for saltwater tank and saltwater aquarium keepers. Log water tests, monitor parameter trends, and understand what is changing in your reef before small swings become real problems. Track Every Essential Reef Parameter Record KH, salinity, pH, Ca, Mg, NO₂, NO₃, PO₄, SiO₂, temperature, and more. Keep a clear aquarium log with visual trends for the values reef keepers watch most. Smart Insights for Saltwater Aquariums Get automated insights from your measurements so you can react earlier, keep your reef tank stable, and make better maintenance decisions. Sync Across Devices All your data is safely stored and automatically synced across your iPhone and iPad. Manual Test Help Enter results from your favorite test kits faster with guided steps designed for reef routines, regular water tests, and day-to-day reef journaling. Unlock Premium with Shrimpy Shrimpy, your reef assistant, unlocks powerful features: • Expert analysis of your tank data • Personalized advice • Photo analysis of your aquarium • Start and continue conversations with Shrimpy for personalized reefing tips Why Reef Keepers Choose Reef Buddy • Built for reef tanks and saltwater aquariums • Clean tracking without unnecessary clutter • Compatible with major test kits, including Red Sea, Salifert, Hanna, and more Subscription Info Shrimpy Premium is available as a monthly or yearly subscription. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage your subscription anytime in your Apple account settings. Terms & Privacy Policy: https://reef-buddy.app

About

TUNZE

Control TUNZE devices like pumps and controllers from a central app. It offers analysis and maintenance features for marine aquariums, helping to stabilize water chemistry and technology for a healthy environment.

Highlights
  • Centralized device control
  • Pump and controller management
  • Intelligent accessory features
  • Water chemistry analysis
  • Maintenance tracking
  • Marine aquarium companion
Features
Read full description

With the TUNZE App, you can control your TUNZE devices centrally, clearly and at any time – whether it’s pumps, controllers or intelligent accessory features. At the same time, the app includes all proven analysis and maintenance features of the former Reef Assistant – now completely free! This makes TUNZE the complete companion for a stable, healthy and easily maintained marine aquarium. Our philosophy: Record values, correct them, stabilize them. Optimal water chemistry and reliable technology are the foundation of a successful reef aquarium. Legal Information Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Use: https://app.tunze.com/tunze/en/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://app.tunze.com/tunze/en/data-terms Imprint: https://app.tunze.com/tunze/en/imprint More information: https://app.tunze.com

Screenshots

Reef Buddy4 screens
TUNZE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reef Buddy at 55% against TUNZE's 0%. Reef Buddy also leads on rating (3.9 vs 1.6) and ads (none vs shown). TUNZE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, monetization model 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. Reef Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. TUNZE asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reef Buddy holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Reef Buddy's written reviews are positive against 0% of TUNZE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reef Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, TUNZE every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Reef Buddy versus TUNZE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReef BuddyTUNZE
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (20 ratings) — better1.6 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings20 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDistrict Webfynix GmbH

Customer experience

Reef Buddy

All ratings20 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative45.5%

TUNZE

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Reef Buddy

Subscriptions4
  • Reef Buddy Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Reef Buddy Pro3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Reef buddy pro month$3.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Reef buddy pro annual3 Days trial$44.991 Year
None

TUNZE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reef Buddy free?
Reef Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TUNZE free?
TUNZE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reef Buddy or TUNZE?
Reef Buddy is rated higher. Reef Buddy averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while TUNZE averages 1.6 from 7 ratings.
Do Reef Buddy or TUNZE have ads?
TUNZE shows ads; Reef Buddy does not.
Which is updated more often, Reef Buddy or TUNZE?
Reef Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and TUNZE every 2 months. Most recently, Reef Buddy was updated on October 24, 2026 and TUNZE on October 24, 2026.

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