# The Shark Trust vs FathomVerse

The clearest difference is rating: The Shark Trust at 5.0 against FathomVerse's 4.7. The Shark Trust also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). FathomVerse's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 67%) and ratings volume (92 vs 5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Shark Trust holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FathomVerse has 92 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of The Shark Trust's written reviews are positive against 86% of FathomVerse's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Shark Trust ships an update every 2 weeks, FathomVerse every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Shark Trust | FathomVerse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shark-trust/id1597701543/reviews)** | [4.7 (92 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathomverse/id6469854247/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **92** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 93 MB | 284 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shark Trust](https://appshunter.io/developer/918121148) | [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/997448509) |

## What reviewers say

### The Shark Trust

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shark-trust/id1597701543)

Contribute to shark conservation by reporting sightings and eggcases. This app centralizes five citizen science projects, helping you identify marine life and track your discoveries. Engage with a community of ocean enthusiasts and collect virtual shark cards.

**Highlights:** Five citizen science shark reporting projects, Community map of local reports, Collectible shark cards, Eggcase identification tool, User profile and logbook, Shark and ray entanglement reporting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### FathomVerse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathomverse/id6469854247)

Explore the ocean world through an immersive game that trains AI for scientific research. Discover and identify over 50 groups of ocean animals using real imagery collected by researchers. Contribute to science while playing minigames, completing quests, and earning badges.

**Highlights:** Play minigames with real ocean imagery, Identify over 50 groups of ocean animals, Save and share favorite images, Participate in quests and earn badges, Unlock awards for gameplay contributions, Customize soundscape with Ocean Radio

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Relaxing and peaceful experience
- 🔍 Opportunity to contribute to ocean research
- 🌟 Stunning visuals and immersive environment
- 🧠 Educational content on marine life
- 🤝 Responsive and helpful development team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and inconsistent user interface
- 🤔 Unclear instructions and onboarding process
- ⏱️ Slow and tedious core gameplay loop
- 🔍 Lack of ability to re-examine animal images
- 🧭 Inconsistent controls between different sections


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Shark Trust free?

The Shark Trust is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FathomVerse free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Shark Trust or FathomVerse?

The Shark Trust is rated higher. The Shark Trust averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while FathomVerse averages 4.7 from 92 ratings.

### Do The Shark Trust or FathomVerse have ads?

Neither The Shark Trust nor FathomVerse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Shark Trust or FathomVerse?

The Shark Trust ships an update every 2 weeks, and FathomVerse every 6 weeks. Most recently, The Shark Trust was updated on November 3, 2026 and FathomVerse on November 3, 2026.

---

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