Comparison

Sydney Uni vs SharkSmart

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sydney Uni

This app provides university students with essential tools for daily campus life. It features a personal timetable, campus navigation, event updates, and access to important services. Streamline your university experience with this all-in-one student platform.

Highlights
  • Personal timetable for classes and events
  • Campus wayfinding and navigation
  • Up-to-date events feed
  • Digest of important notices
  • Access to essential student services
  • Customizable favorites for quick access
Features
Read full description

Now updated with wayfinding, your personal timetable, up to date events feed and more, the Sydney Uni app combines everything a student might need day to day at University. As a student, the University can be a large and often confusing place. Make the most of your University experience with the Sydney Uni app – a one stop platform with all your frequently used services in a clean and intuitive interface. Key components of the refreshed Sydney Uni app include: • My Favourites: keep your most frequently used apps and services in the one place. • Timetable: keep track of your classes and events in one place. • Wayfinding: find your way around campus; no more losing your way to class! • Notifications: a handy digest of all the important notices • Services: from doctors' appointments to student centre details, we have collected a range of services in one handy view!

About

SharkSmart

Stay informed about shark activity in NSW before you swim. Get real-time alerts on tagged shark detections and drone sightings. Understand shark behavior and assess your personal risk for a safer beach experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time shark alerts
  • Drone and tagged shark detections
  • Interactive risk assessment
  • Shark and marine animal identification
  • Beach mitigation gear locations
  • Smartwatch compatibility
Features
Read full description

Enjoy NSW beaches. Be SharkSmart. The NSW Government’s SharkSmart app helps you stay informed before you hit the water in NSW. The app is part of the NSW Government’s Shark Management Program implemented by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). Check the latest shark alerts, Surf Life Saving NSW drone patrol observations, and tagged shark detections to better understand shark activity along the NSW coast. With greater awareness and knowledge of sharks and their behaviour, everyone can enjoy NSW beaches while reducing the risk of a shark encounter. The SharkSmart app provides real-time alerts, beach conditions, species information and helpful resources to keep you informed at NSW beaches. Stay SharkSmart with our App. Alerts & Notifications Receive alerts for tagged shark detections, shark sightings, Surf Life Saving NSW and Surfing NSW drone patrol observations, beach closures and other safety incidents. Customise notifications for alerts around you, by region, by time, or for your favourite beaches. New beach arrival notifications remind you when you are near the coast, with a quick link to today’s conditions and safety information. Daily Updates give you a snapshot of shark activity and alerts across NSW, or focused on beaches around you and your favourited beaches. Beach Status Check conditions before you go with beach status and at-a-glance information for beaches near you or in your favourites. See weather, water quality, patrol information, safety advice, and other local conditions to help you plan your visit. My Beaches Save your favourite NSW beaches and get updates and alerts for the places you visit most. Manage your list, view beach details, daily conditions and recent shark alerts for each location. Tagged Sharks When a tagged shark is detected, tap through for richer detail than ever before, including when and where it was tagged, species information, recent detections, and the path the indicative shark has taken along the NSW coast. Data may include contributions from DPIRD and research partners. Ask SharkSmart Have a question about sharks, beach safety or the latest conditions at a particular beach? Ask SharkSmart is your AI assistant for SharkSmart-related questions. Get clear, helpful answers in a conversation-style experience, with links to relevant alerts, beaches and species where available. Species There are over 180 species of sharks in Australia, and the majority are relatively harmless. In terms of shark-human interactions, the three species responsible for almost all serious and fatal interactions are the white, bull, and tiger sharks, collectively referred to in NSW as the ‘target’ species of our Shark Management Program. Browse images and information on these target sharks, as well as non-target sharks and other marine animals that sting or bite, for education and identification. Apple Watch Compatible If you have an Apple Watch, the SharkSmart app includes a companion watch app that lets you receive SharkSmart alerts on your wrist. View alerts around you or set up notifications for a region, by time or for favourite beaches. For more information visit: sharksmart.nsw.gov.au

Screenshots

Sydney Uni4 screens
SharkSmart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SharkSmart at weekly against Sydney Uni's every 6 weeks. Sydney Uni's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sydney Uni ships an update every 6 weeks, SharkSmart weekly. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Sydney Uni versus SharkSmart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSydney UniSharkSmart
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.3 (282 ratings) — better
Positive reviews30.8% of reviews — better26.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—282 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size214 MB49 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperThe University of SydneyNSW Department of Primary Industries

Customer experience

Sydney Uni

Written reviews26 reviews
Positive30.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative61.5%

SharkSmart

All ratings282 ratings
Positive80.1%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.1%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive26.3%
Neutral16.2%
Negative57.6%

Bugs and requests

Sydney Uni

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

SharkSmart

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes on startup or when opening alerts
  • Favorite beaches not saving or reverting to all beaches
  • Search function not listing available beaches
  • Map hanging when opening away from beaches
  • Notifications not respecting location radius settings
Show 5 more
  • Inconsistent data between map view and list view
  • Add beach feature not working on iOS
  • Settings menu freezing with spinning wheel
  • Notifications continuing after app deletion
  • Gallery tab crashing on iPhone 12

Requested features

11 requests
  • Ability to name individual tracked sharks
  • Shark size and weight information at tagging
  • Historical shark movement patterns and migration data
  • Deep links from notifications to specific beaches
  • Time-series reporting for shark activity
Show 6 more
  • Apple Watch app improvements and alerts
  • Expand coverage to rivers and harbors
  • Better filtering by event type instead of notification source
  • Expand geographic coverage beyond NSW
  • More receiver stations in underserved areas
  • Clearer messaging about beaches without receivers

In-app purchases

None

Sydney Uni

No in-app purchases

None

SharkSmart

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sydney Uni free?
Sydney Uni is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SharkSmart free?
SharkSmart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sydney Uni or SharkSmart have ads?
Neither Sydney Uni nor SharkSmart shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sydney Uni or SharkSmart?
Sydney Uni ships an update every 6 weeks, and SharkSmart weekly. Most recently, Sydney Uni was updated on September 22, 2026 and SharkSmart on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons