# Reef Buddy vs PrepScanner

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Reef Buddy | PrepScanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reef-buddy-reef-tank-tracker/id1593580822/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepscanner/id6775988144/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 46 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [maxime marinel](https://appshunter.io/developer/595076846) | [Dragon Run Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775988146) |

## 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 |


### PrepScanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepscanner/id6775988144)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PrepScanner Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| PrepScanner Pro | $28.99 | per year |


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