Comparison

Reef Buddy vs PrepScanner

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

PrepScanner

Instantly identify plants, animals, and objects with AI. Get survival-relevant analysis like edibility, danger level, and resale value. Dig deeper with AI Chat and save all your scans for future reference.

Highlights
  • AI-powered identification
  • Survival-relevant analysis
  • Object condition assessment
  • AI Chat for follow-up questions
  • Scan history and reference building
  • Unlimited scans with Pro subscription
Features
Read full description

PrepScanner is the field identification and analysis tool built for horticulturists, survivalists, and outdoor enthusiasts. Point your camera at any plant, animal or object and get instant AI powered identification with the analysis that actually matters in the field or garden. WHAT PREPSCANNER IDENTIFIES • Animals — species info, danger level, tracking tips, and hunting notes • Plants — edibility, medicinal uses, toxicity warnings, and foraging tips • Objects — condition assessment, resale value, and utility rating FOCUSED FIELD NOTES Every scan goes beyond basic identification. PrepScanner gives you survival-relevant context: Can you eat it? Is it dangerous? What's it worth in a barter scenario? How do you preserve or use it? AI CHAT After every scan, dig deeper with AI Chat. Ask follow-up questions about the identified subject; how to prepare it, how to avoid it, how to use it in a grid-down scenario. SCAN HISTORY Every scan is saved with its photo and full field notes so you can build your own personal field reference over time. PRO SUBSCRIPTION Free users get a limited number of scans. Upgrade to PrepScanner Pro for unlimited scans. • Monthly: $2.99/month • Annual: $28.99/year (save 19%) PrepScanner is built for people who take preparedness seriously. Terms of Use: https://prepscanner.app/terms

Screenshots

Reef Buddy4 screens
PrepScanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PrepScanner at 100% against Reef Buddy's 55%. PrepScanner also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Reef Buddy's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (20 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and PrepScanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PrepScanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reef Buddy has 20 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Reef Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of PrepScanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reef Buddy ships an update fortnightly, PrepScanner every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Reef Buddy versus PrepScanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReef BuddyPrepScanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (20 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermaxime marinelDragon Run Technologies LLC

Customer experience

Reef Buddy

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

PrepScanner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
2 purchases

PrepScanner

Subscriptions2
  • PrepScanner Pro$2.991 Month
  • PrepScanner Pro$28.991 Year

Questions

Is Reef Buddy free?
Reef Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PrepScanner free?
PrepScanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Reef Buddy or PrepScanner?
PrepScanner is rated higher. Reef Buddy averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while PrepScanner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Reef Buddy or PrepScanner have ads?
Neither Reef Buddy nor PrepScanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reef Buddy or PrepScanner?
Reef Buddy ships an update fortnightly, and PrepScanner every 2 months. Most recently, Reef Buddy was updated on November 3, 2026 and PrepScanner on October 31, 2026.

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