# Beachsafe vs SharkSmart WA

The clearest difference is rating: Beachsafe at 5.0 against SharkSmart WA's 4.7. Beachsafe also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). SharkSmart WA's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 46%) and ratings volume (109 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Beachsafe holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SharkSmart WA has 109 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Beachsafe's written reviews are positive against 67% of SharkSmart WA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Beachsafe ships an update every 6 months, SharkSmart WA every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beachsafe | SharkSmart WA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beachsafe/id397699623/reviews)** | [4.7 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharksmart-wa/id1480651764/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **109** |
| Positive reviews | 46.5% of reviews | **67.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 100 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Surf Life Saving Australia Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/397699626) | [Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583142297) |

## What reviewers say

### Beachsafe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beachsafe/id397699623)

Discover Australian beaches with real-time information on surf conditions, weather, hazards, and lifesaving services. Find patrolled beaches, learn about safety, and get expert advice on rip currents and marine life.

**Highlights:** Find nearby beaches with GPS, View surf, weather, and tide forecasts, Check patrol service information, Identify beach hazards and warnings, Access surf safety advice, Save favorite beaches

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SharkSmart WA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharksmart-wa/id1480651764)

Access Western Australia's official shark activity information and beach safety features. Get real-time alerts, view shark monitoring locations, and report sightings to help plan your beach trips safely.

**Highlights:** Shark activity alerts and warnings, Map of shark monitoring receivers, Patrolled beach locations, Weather forecasts, Report shark sightings, Customizable location notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Provides awareness and information
- 👍 Awesome and improving app
- 👍 Makes users feel safer
- 👍 Useful for spear fishing and diving
- 👍 Keeps users updated and safe

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frustrating long-term sightings
- 🐛 Updates in random date order
- 🐛 Cannot select town on iPhone
- 🐛 Alerts not listed in date order
- 🐛 More info required on tagged sharks

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot select a town or tap on map on iPhone
- App crashes when opening
- App hasn't updated in over a week
- Notifications delayed for incidents
- App doesn't update

**Requested features**

- Add shark ID, tagging date, and size
- Include approximate age, weight, type, size, tagging location/date, and last scanned location/frequency for tagged sharks
- Expand coverage to all of Australia
- Show length and gender of tagged sharks
- Provide more information on tagged sharks (when, where, size when tagged)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beachsafe free?

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

### Is SharkSmart WA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Beachsafe or SharkSmart WA?

Beachsafe is rated higher. Beachsafe averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while SharkSmart WA averages 4.7 from 109 ratings.

### Do Beachsafe or SharkSmart WA have ads?

Neither Beachsafe nor SharkSmart WA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Beachsafe or SharkSmart WA?

Beachsafe ships an update every 6 months, and SharkSmart WA every 4 months. Most recently, Beachsafe was updated on September 19, 2026 and SharkSmart WA on September 23, 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.*