Nitrox Buddy vs Virtual Backyard Ultra
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nitrox Buddy
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.
- 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
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Nitrox Buddy is a no-frills calculator app for nitrox/enriched air divers - use it to quickly calculate the most important data for your dive: Maximum Operating Depth/MOD, Equivalent Air Depth/EAD, Best Mix and PPO2. The app works with imperial or metric measurements, sea or fresh water, and allows you to select the maximum oxygen content and partial pressure. A companion watch app puts lets you perform all these calculations on your wrist.
Virtual Backyard Ultra
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Virtual Backyard Ultra turns the last-one-standing race format into something you can run solo, anywhere. The rules are simple. Every hour, on the hour, you run a "yard" — a set loop. Finish inside the hour and you earn a rest until the next one begins. Miss the cutoff and you're out. The last runner standing wins, so the only goal is one more yard. Virtual Backyard Ultra is your timekeeper and distance tracker for every yard: • Corral clock — a clear countdown to the top of the hour, with audio, haptic, and spoken cues at 3-2-1 and the starting bell. • GPS distance — track how far you cover each yard, with live distance-to-go and turnaround prompts on out-and-back courses. • Your format — set the yard distance, interval, and course type. The classic 4.167 mi per hour (24 yards = 100 miles) is one tap away. • Live Activity & Dynamic Island — keep the corral clock on your lock screen and in the Dynamic Island while you run. • Apple Watch — the corral clock on your wrist: the yard you're on, the countdown to the next bell, and your distance. It taps you at the bell, when you finish, and if you miss a corral. • Race resume — if the app goes down mid-race, from a crash or a force-quit, reopening it puts you straight back in with the clock where it should be. • History & personal best — every run is logged, with your longest streak front and center. • Export & share — save a finished run to Apple Health as a running workout, one segment per yard with your route, or export a .fit or .gpx file. Share a result card when you're done. • Screen-off friendly — distance keeps counting in your pocket, and the bell still rings. No account. No sign-up. Just you, the clock, and one more yard. Free to download.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virtual Backyard Ultra at none against Nitrox Buddy's 1. Virtual Backyard Ultra also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Nitrox Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Virtual Backyard Ultra asks for nothing beyond the download.
Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, Virtual Backyard Ultra every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Nitrox Buddy | Virtual Backyard Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (489 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 489 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gereon Steffens | Cow Cow Technologies LLC |
Bugs and requests
Nitrox Buddy
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
4 requests- 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)
Virtual Backyard Ultra
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Nitrox Buddy
- Tip$0.99
Virtual Backyard Ultra
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Nitrox Buddy free?
Is Virtual Backyard Ultra free?
Do Nitrox Buddy or Virtual Backyard Ultra have ads?
Which is updated more often, Nitrox Buddy or Virtual Backyard Ultra?
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