# Reef Buddy vs VacConnect

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VacConnect at none against Reef Buddy's 4. VacConnect also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reef Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. VacConnect asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reef Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, VacConnect monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reef Buddy | VacConnect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reef-buddy-reef-tank-tracker/id1593580822/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **20** | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 46 MB | 205 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [District Web](https://appshunter.io/developer/595076846) | [FUTURE INNOVATION HOLDINGS PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884523474) |

## What reviewers say

### Reef Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reef-buddy-reef-tank-tracker/id1593580822)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reef Buddy Pro Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Reef Buddy Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| Reef buddy pro month | $3.99 | per month |
| Reef buddy pro annual | $44.99 | per year |


### VacConnect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacconnect/id6760449468)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reef Buddy free?

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

### Is VacConnect free?

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

### Do Reef Buddy or VacConnect have ads?

Neither Reef Buddy nor VacConnect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reef Buddy or VacConnect?

Reef Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and VacConnect monthly. Most recently, Reef Buddy was updated on October 24, 2026 and VacConnect on October 25, 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.*