# OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ vs HAB Detection

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HAB Detection at none against OCEARCH Shark Tracker™'s 2. HAB Detection also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 weeks). OCEARCH Shark Tracker™'s advantage is ratings volume (8.8K vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. HAB Detection asks for nothing beyond the download.

HAB Detection 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ ships an update every 4 weeks, HAB Detection every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ | HAB Detection |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (8.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocearch-shark-tracker/id570772231/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hab-detection/id6743957312/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 77 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OCEARCH](https://appshunter.io/developer/570772234) | [Yang Cai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805330645) |

## What reviewers say

### OCEARCH Shark Tracker™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocearch-shark-tracker/id570772231)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tracker Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Tracker Plus Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome app
- 👍 Interesting and educational
- 🔍 Ability to track sharks and other marine life
- 🌊 Great for ocean and shark lovers
- 🤩 Amazing concept and research work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of recent/live data
- 🌎 Limited to certain regions
- 💬 Removal of comment section
- 🔑 Issues with account creation and login

**Reported bugs**

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- Outdated animal data and locations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

**Requested features**

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


### HAB Detection

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hab-detection/id6743957312)

This application assists in identifying harmful algae blooms in ocean waters. Developed for NOAA, it utilizes advanced detection methods to monitor marine environments.

**Highlights:** Harmful algae bloom detection, Ocean water monitoring, Designed for NOAA, Developed by UCSD VIS lab

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ free?

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HAB Detection free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ or HAB Detection?

HAB Detection is rated higher. OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8.8K ratings, while HAB Detection averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ or HAB Detection have ads?

Neither OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ nor HAB Detection shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ or HAB Detection?

OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ ships an update every 4 weeks, and HAB Detection every 8 days. Most recently, OCEARCH Shark Tracker™ was updated on November 6, 2026 and HAB Detection on October 30, 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.*