# Nitrox Buddy vs Dive Shearwater

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nitrox Buddy at 96% against Dive Shearwater's 8%. Nitrox Buddy also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (468 vs 45). Dive Shearwater's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly 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. Dive Shearwater asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nitrox Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nitrox Buddy has 468 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Nitrox Buddy's written reviews are positive against 8% of Dive Shearwater's.

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, Dive Shearwater monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitrox Buddy | Dive Shearwater |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (468 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-buddy/id572411073/reviews)** | [1.5 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dive-shearwater/id6751863035/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **468** | 45 |
| Positive reviews | **95.7% of reviews** | 8.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| 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)


### Dive Shearwater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dive-shearwater/id6751863035)

This app serves as a digital dive log, allowing divers to meticulously record their underwater adventures. It features interactive maps to track explored locations and integrates with specific hardware to automatically capture dive site coordinates. Designed for simplicity and reliability, it helps divers organize records and plan future dives.

**Highlights:** Interactive dive maps, Automatic dive site coordinate capture, Streamlined user experience, Dive history tracking, Gear setup refinement, Dive planning tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nitrox Buddy free?

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

### Is Dive Shearwater free?

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

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

Nitrox Buddy is rated higher. Nitrox Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 468 ratings, while Dive Shearwater averages 1.5 from 45 ratings.

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

Neither Nitrox Buddy nor Dive Shearwater shows ads.

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

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, and Dive Shearwater monthly. Most recently, Nitrox Buddy was updated on September 21, 2026 and Dive Shearwater on September 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.*