# Nitrox Tools vs Buddy

The clearest difference is price: Buddy at Free against Nitrox Tools's $5.99. Buddy also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (49 vs 4). Nitrox Tools's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Buddy is free to download; Nitrox Tools costs $5.99 up front. Buddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Nitrox Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nitrox Tools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 49 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Nitrox Tools's written reviews are positive against 77% of Buddy's.

Nitrox Tools ships an update every 5 months, Buddy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitrox Tools | Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-tools/id284919980/reviews)** | [4.3 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-social-dive-app/id1588860327/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **49** |
| Positive reviews | **88.5% of reviews** | 76.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#72** | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Greg Mclaughlin](https://appshunter.io/developer/284919983) | [Dive with Buddy, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588860329) |

## What reviewers say

### Nitrox Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-tools/id284919980)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Paid · Sports (US App Store)

This app provides essential tools for divers to plan and blend enriched air nitrox. It calculates dive parameters like equivalent air depth and maximum operating depth, and supports various blending methods for custom gas mixes. Easily switch between metric and imperial units and save custom settings for frequent use.

**Highlights:** Enriched air nitrox blending, Dive planning calculations, Equivalent Air Depth (EAD), Partial Pressure of Oxygen (PPO2), Maximum Operating Depth (MOD), Save custom mixes and settings, Metric/Imperial unit switching

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-social-dive-app/id1588860327)

This app is a comprehensive companion for divers, offering features to log dives, manage gear, and connect with a community of ocean enthusiasts. It provides tools for both free and premium users to enhance their underwater adventures and discover new diving experiences.

**Highlights:** Dive Log recording and validation, Buddy network and activity feed, Gear management, Offline access to certifications, Buddy Radar for finding dive buddies, Discover feed for underwater content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buddy Radar: Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Buddy Radar: Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🌍 Connects divers globally
- 🗺️ Great for logging dives
- 📸 Ability to add photos/videos
- 🤝 Facilitates meeting new dive buddies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buddy radar not working
- 📉 Low user count in some areas
- 💸 Social features feel like a money grab
- 🤷‍♂️ Missing advanced features
- 🔌 No import/export of data

**Reported bugs**

- Buddy radar not working
- App crashes and becomes unresponsive
- Login issues (email not found)
- Draft dives appearing in public searches
- Deleted drafts still appearing publicly

**Requested features**

- Open to dive status to link people
- Ability to import/export data
- Direct data download from dive computers
- Support for technical diving features (e.g., double tanks, trimix volumes)
- Inclusion of smaller certification organizations (GUE, UTD)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nitrox Tools free?

Nitrox Tools costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nitrox Tools or Buddy?

Nitrox Tools is rated higher. Nitrox Tools averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Buddy averages 4.3 from 49 ratings.

### Do Nitrox Tools or Buddy have ads?

Neither Nitrox Tools nor Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nitrox Tools or Buddy?

Nitrox Tools ships an update every 5 months, and Buddy monthly. Most recently, Nitrox Tools was updated on October 17, 2026 and Buddy on October 16, 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.*