Comparison

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ vs W2O

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

Head to head
About

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™

Follow the real-time movements of sharks, turtles, and other marine animals across the globe. Learn fascinating facts, explore migration patterns, and support ocean conservation efforts through interactive tracking data.

Highlights
  • Live animal tracking on interactive maps
  • Explore migration and movement patterns
  • Access animal tagging and species details
  • Daily ocean and marine animal facts
  • Premium map layers and exclusive content (subscription)
  • Community engagement with comments (subscription)
Features
Read full description

DIVE INTO A WORLD OF SHARKS, TURTLES, AND OTHER AMAZING MARINE ANIMALS & HELP SAVE OUR OCEANS! If you have a passion for the ocean, sharks, and marine life, this app is for YOU! The Global Shark Tracker™ was created by OCEARCH, a non-profit research organization dedicated to returning our world’s oceans to balance and abundance. EXPLORE LIKE THE OCEARCH CREW, FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME! Join our scientific researchers on an exciting journey, with real-time tracking data for sharks, turtles, and more. With cutting-edge satellite technology, the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker™ app lets you follow these amazing marine animals as they migrate across the globe. Dive into each animal’s profile to discover their history, track their movements, and learn fascinating facts about their species • Track Animals Live with Interactive Maps • Explore Migration & Movement Patterns • Access Animal Tagging & Species Details • Never Miss Updates with ‘Follow’ Option • Daily Ocean & Marine Animal Facts MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS YOU TRACK OCEARCH now has a new way that YOU can make a direct impact on our sharks and oceans! For less than the cost of a cup of coffee each month, you can upgrade to Shark Tracker+ and directly support the OCEARCH mission. Plus, enjoy these exciting new features with your subscription: • Premium Map Layers incl. Live Weather Maps • ‘Behind-The-Scenes’ Exclusive Content • Enhanced Animal Detail Page incl. Charts • Community Engagement with ‘Comments’ • Discounts in the OCEARCH Shop HOW TRACKING WORKS OCEARCH conducts scientific research and collaborates with institutions across the world! SPOT tags are used to provide near real-time tracking data for an average of 5 years. Each time the animal’s tag breaks the surface of the water, it signals a satellite to create a ‘ping’ on the tracker for YOU to see. Data is used by the scientific community to help with: • Research • Conservation • Policy • Management • Safety • Education We created this app to engage YOU in shark and marine conservation efforts by providing real-time tracking data on ocean animals. Our goal is to empower YOU to connect with the ocean, learn about marine life, and support vital marine science through interactive, accessible technology. Thank you for your interest and support. We couldn't conduct this critical ocean research without you. If you love our app, please consider supporting us by leaving a rating and review, or by sharing it with your friends. We’re always looking to improve! If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please feel free to email us at tracker@ocearch.org. OCEARCH is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our federal tax ID is 80-0708997. For more information about OCEARCH and our mission, please visit www.ocearch.org or @OCEARCH on social media to learn more. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

W2O

Access a wealth of ocean-related content, including weekly radio episodes, blog posts on policy and action, and a digital magazine exploring ocean culture and solutions. Stay informed about initiatives and join a global community dedicated to ocean health and sustainability.

Highlights
  • Weekly radio episodes on ocean issues
  • Blog on ocean policy and action
  • Digital magazine on ocean culture
  • Monthly newsletter updates
  • Global community for ocean conservation
Features
Read full description

The World Ocean Observatory app brings the major programs and features of the W2O to your mobile device. - Listen to weekly episodes of WORLD OCEAN RADIO, our 5-minute audio feature on a wide range of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects, brought to you by long-time host Peter Neill. - Read the latest from WORLD OCEAN FORUM, our blog dedicated to proposals for change in ocean policy and action worldwide, linking unexpected people with unexpected ideas and offering a knowledgeable outlet for research, opinion and storytelling. - Read WORLD OCEAN JOURNAL, a digital magazine on ocean culture and solutions to today’s ocean issues. Each volume, focused on a particular theme, includes essays, articles, interviews, art, exhibits, and performances profiling the vital impacts of the ocean on our lives. - Read our monthly newsletter to stay engaged with our making waves initiatives. ABOUT THE W2O World Ocean Observatory is a leading organization advocating for the health and sustainability of the ocean through an accessible worldwide network of communication. Through education, partnership, information exchange, public connection, and relentless communications, W2O is committed to building an expansive global community of Citizens of the Ocean to promote and conserve marine resources for the future of all mankind.

Screenshots

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™4 screens
W2O4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: W2O at none against OCEARCH Shark Tracker™'s 2. W2O also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). OCEARCH Shark Tracker™'s advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 24 months) and ratings volume (8.8K vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. W2O asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

W2O holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ has 8.8K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of OCEARCH Shark Tracker™'s written reviews are positive against 100% of W2O's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ ships an update every 4 weeks, W2O every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ versus W2O: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOCEARCH Shark Tracker™W2O
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (8.8K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.8K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 24 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOCEARCHBjorn Grigholm

Customer experience

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™

All ratings8,774 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.7%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews363 reviews
Positive70.8%
Neutral5.2%
Negative24.0%

W2O

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Outdated animal data and locations
  • Difficulties creating accounts
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to favorite/track specific animals
  • Notifications for animal pings
  • More diverse marine life tracking
  • Improved map and data visualization
  • Integration with other platforms

W2O

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™

Subscriptions2
  • Tracker Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Tracker Plus Yearly$29.991 Year
None

W2O

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ free?
OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is W2O free?
W2O is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ or W2O?
W2O is rated higher. OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8.8K ratings, while W2O averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ or W2O have ads?
Neither OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ nor W2O shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ or W2O?
OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ ships an update every 4 weeks, and W2O every 24 months. Most recently, OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ was updated on October 19, 2026 and W2O on September 20, 2026.

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