# Nitrox Buddy vs Shearwater Cloud

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nitrox Buddy at 96% against Shearwater Cloud's 26%. Nitrox Buddy also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.6) and ratings volume (468 vs 104). Shearwater Cloud's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nitrox Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shearwater Cloud asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nitrox Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 468 and 104 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Nitrox Buddy's written reviews are positive against 26% of Shearwater Cloud's.

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, Shearwater Cloud every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitrox Buddy | Shearwater Cloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (468 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-buddy/id572411073/reviews)** | [2.6 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shearwater-cloud/id1185701505/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **468** | 104 |
| Positive reviews | **95.7% of reviews** | 25.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 333 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gereon Steffens](https://appshunter.io/developer/493030228) | [Shearwater Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164234361) |

## What reviewers say

### Nitrox Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-buddy/id572411073)

This application serves as a straightforward calculator for nitrox and enriched air divers. It quickly computes essential dive data such as Maximum Operating Depth (MOD), Equivalent Air Depth (EAD), Best Mix, and Partial Pressure of Oxygen (PPO2). It supports both imperial and metric units and offers a companion watch app for on-the-go calculations.

**Highlights:** Calculate MOD, EAD, Best Mix, PPO2, Imperial and metric unit support, Sea and fresh water options, Selectable max oxygen content, Selectable max partial pressure, Companion watch app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick calculations
- ✅ Accurate results
- 💡 Free to use
- 🎯 Essential for Nitrox divers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Ugly iPad icon
- ⚠️ MOD calculation limited to 40% O2 in older versions
- ⚠️ MOD calculation limited to 50% O2 in older versions
- ⚠️ Needs to work with older iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- iPad icon is ugly
- MOD limit of 50% O2 despite 100% O2 setting (resolved)
- MOD limit of 40% O2 (older version)
- Does not work with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add MOD 1.5 option
- Allow MOD calculation up to 100% O2 and indicate max exposure duration
- Change color for inappropriate mixes (e.g., 50% at 40m)
- Support older iOS versions (5 & 6)


### Shearwater Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shearwater-cloud/id1185701505)

Connect your mobile device to your dive computer to download, manage, and analyze dive logs. Update firmware and utilize cloud storage for accessible and secure dive data across multiple devices.

**Highlights:** Download dive logs via Bluetooth LE, Analyze depth, decompression, and temperature, Cloud storage for dive logs, Firmware updates for dive computers, Cross-device accessibility

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔄 Reliable dive data synchronization with computers
- ☁️ Cloud storage functionality for accessing dives across devices
- 📊 Clear display of dive statistics and information
- 🔌 Easy Bluetooth connectivity (when working)
- ⚡ Functional core logging features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Outdated, unattractive user interface design
- 📱 Poor iPad optimization and landscape mode issues
- 🐢 Extremely slow performance and lag
- 🔗 Frequent Bluetooth connectivity failures
- 💥 App crashes on launch and during use

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup with latest iOS versions
- Bluetooth connection causes app to freeze or crash
- Dives fail to download or sync completely
- Dive numbers display incorrectly compared to computer
- Data loss when updating app or firmware

**Requested features**

- Modern, native-looking user interface redesign
- GPS/geolocation integration for dive sites
- Ability to manually add or import dives
- Photo attachment capability for dives
- Dive planner functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nitrox Buddy free?

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

### Is Shearwater Cloud free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nitrox Buddy or Shearwater Cloud?

Nitrox Buddy is rated higher. Nitrox Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 468 ratings, while Shearwater Cloud averages 2.6 from 104 ratings.

### Do Nitrox Buddy or Shearwater Cloud have ads?

Neither Nitrox Buddy nor Shearwater Cloud shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nitrox Buddy or Shearwater Cloud?

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, and Shearwater Cloud every 5 weeks. Most recently, Nitrox Buddy was updated on September 21, 2026 and Shearwater Cloud on September 2, 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.*