# Nitrox Buddy vs Garmin Dive™

Nitrox Buddy and Garmin Dive™ both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 96% of Nitrox Buddy's written reviews are positive against 50% of Garmin Dive™'s. Garmin Dive™'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Nitrox Buddy against 4.8 for Garmin Dive™. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 489 and 852 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Nitrox Buddy's written reviews are positive against 50% of Garmin Dive™'s.

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, Garmin Dive™ every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitrox Buddy | Garmin Dive™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (489 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-buddy/id572411073/reviews)** | [4.8 (852 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-dive/id1461262794/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 489 | **852** |
| Positive reviews | **95.7% of reviews** | 49.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 505 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gereon Steffens](https://appshunter.io/developer/493030228) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## 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, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**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)


### Garmin Dive™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-dive/id1461262794)

This app serves as a comprehensive diving logbook and planning tool. It automatically records dive data, tracks gas consumption, and supports various diving disciplines. Users can also discover dive sites, manage gear, and share experiences with a community.

**Highlights:** Automatic dive logging, Gas consumption tracking, Support for multiple dive types, Interactive dive site maps, Gear and service tracking, Real-time diver monitoring

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Automatic dive logging
- 👍 Versatile for different sports
- 💡 Integrated with Garmin ecosystem
- 🚀 Ease of use
- 👍 Detailed dive information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with dive computer
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes
- 🔒 Requires internet connection
- 🐛 Cannot recover deleted dives
- 🐛 Dive numbers not automatically updated

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot save dive logs
- Dive sites not found in the app
- Randomly missing dive logs
- Photos not displayed chronologically
- Sync issues with Mk2i device

**Requested features**

- Dive planner in the app
- Export dive data to other apps
- Ability to combine short dives
- Import dive logs from other software
- More detailed statistics and analytics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nitrox Buddy free?

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

### Is Garmin Dive™ free?

Garmin Dive™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nitrox Buddy or Garmin Dive™?

Nitrox Buddy is rated higher. Nitrox Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 489 ratings, while Garmin Dive™ averages 4.8 from 852 ratings.

### Do Nitrox Buddy or Garmin Dive™ have ads?

Neither Nitrox Buddy nor Garmin Dive™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nitrox Buddy or Garmin Dive™?

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, and Garmin Dive™ every 6 weeks. Most recently, Nitrox Buddy was updated on October 17, 2026 and Garmin Dive™ on October 19, 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.*