# aquaPlanner vs Reef Buddy

The clearest difference is price: Reef Buddy at Free against aquaPlanner's $2.99. Reef Buddy also leads on rating (3.9 vs 3.3). aquaPlanner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (60 vs 20). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Reef Buddy is free to download; aquaPlanner costs $2.99 up front. Reef Buddy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. aquaPlanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reef Buddy holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 60 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of aquaPlanner's written reviews are positive against 55% of Reef Buddy's.

aquaPlanner ships an update every 3 weeks, Reef Buddy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | aquaPlanner | Reef Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.3 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquaplanner/id411731366/reviews) | **[3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reef-buddy-reef-tank-tracker/id1593580822/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **60** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 51.3% of reviews | **54.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 101 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jose Weeks](https://appshunter.io/developer/411731369) | [maxime marinel](https://appshunter.io/developer/595076846) |

## What reviewers say

### aquaPlanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquaplanner/id411731366)

Manage your aquarium with ease. Schedule maintenance, log water tests, and track inhabitants and equipment. Never forget a task with helpful notifications and calculators.

**Highlights:** Maintenance scheduling with notifications, Water test logging, Inhabitant and equipment logs, Calculators, Data export to CSV, Multiple aquarium support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for tracking aquarium maintenance
- 📊 Useful graphing and charting of water parameters
- 🗓️ Effective reminders and alerts system
- 🗂️ Comprehensive inventory of equipment, inhabitants, and more
- 🔍 Detailed information on aquatic species

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs, especially after updates
- 🔄 Lack of updates and feature improvements over time
- 🤔 Limited customization options for water parameters and alerts
- 📚 Missing many common fish and plant species in database
- 🔒 Unreliable iCloud sync and data loss issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to add or update test results
- Water parameter graphs not displaying correctly
- Alerts not working as expected or disappearing
- Issues with data syncing and information being lost
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload and view tank photos
- Expand water parameter tracking and graphing capabilities
- Improve syncing and backup options across devices
- Allow more customization of alerts and maintenance schedules
- Expand database of aquatic species and equipment


### 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 |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is aquaPlanner free?

aquaPlanner costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Reef Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, aquaPlanner or Reef Buddy?

Reef Buddy is rated higher. aquaPlanner averages 3.3 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while Reef Buddy averages 3.9 from 20 ratings.

### Do aquaPlanner or Reef Buddy have ads?

Neither aquaPlanner nor Reef Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, aquaPlanner or Reef Buddy?

aquaPlanner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Reef Buddy fortnightly. Most recently, aquaPlanner was updated on November 6, 2026 and Reef Buddy on November 3, 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.*