# Nitrox Buddy vs Virtual Backyard Ultra

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitrox Buddy | Virtual Backyard Ultra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (489 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitrox-buddy/id572411073/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **489** | — |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gereon Steffens](https://appshunter.io/developer/493030228) | [Cow Cow Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/924502488) |

## 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)


### Virtual Backyard Ultra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-backyard-ultra/id6782910631)

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nitrox Buddy free?

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

### Is Virtual Backyard Ultra free?

Virtual Backyard Ultra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Nitrox Buddy or Virtual Backyard Ultra have ads?

Neither Nitrox Buddy nor Virtual Backyard Ultra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nitrox Buddy or Virtual Backyard Ultra?

Nitrox Buddy ships an update every 7 months, and Virtual Backyard Ultra every 6 days. Most recently, Nitrox Buddy was updated on October 17, 2026 and Virtual Backyard Ultra on October 7, 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.*