AquaticLog vs NextUpReef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AquaticLog
Manage your aquarium with this comprehensive platform. Track water parameters, schedule maintenance, log livestock, and document your tank's progress with photos and videos. Connect controllers for automatic data import and sync across devices.
- Water parameter tracking
- Smart reminders for maintenance
- Livestock management
- Equipment and dosing logs
- Controller integration
- Photo and video diary
- Community features
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AquaticLog is the complete companion for every aquarium you keep. Whether you run a single planted tank, a peaceful community aquarium, or a full-blown reef, AquaticLog helps you keep your water stable, your livestock thriving, and your routine on track. ONE ACCOUNT, EVERY DEVICE Your log is stored in your AquaticLog account, not on your phone. Sign in on a new iPhone, an iPad, or the web at aquaticlog.com and everything is already there. Aquarists have trusted AquaticLog with their records for over 13 years. Swipe between aquariums right from the main tank view. Keep one or several tanks visible on your iPhone Home Screen with configurable widgets. WATER PARAMETERS Log pH, temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and more. Watch every reading on clear trend charts so you can catch a swing before it ever reaches your fish or corals. Connect a Neptune Apex, Hydros, AquaWiz or Seneye and supported readings flow in automatically every hour. Select and delete multiple inaccurate or duplicate readings from a parameter’s history in one step. LIVESTOCK AND PLANTS Build a detailed record of every fish, coral, invertebrate, plant and amphibian you own. Snap a photo the moment you add a new fish or coral, or pick one from your library. Track sex, temperament, diet, difficulty and reef-safety, and move inhabitants between tanks as your collection grows. MAINTENANCE MADE SIMPLE Schedule water changes, dosing, feeding, testing and equipment cleaning. Smart reminders make sure nothing slips, and a single tap logs the job as done. End a repeating schedule on a date or after a set count, and see your maintenance time per day and week. DOSING AND FEEDING Set up dosing and feeding programs, track supplements, and keep a precise history of exactly what went into your tank and when. Re-dose additives, repeat feedings and repeat water changes in one tap, prefilled with your last amounts. WATER CHANGES AND RO/DI Record every water change and keep an eye on your RO/DI output so your source water stays dialed in. PHOTO TIMELINE Document growth and coloration over time and share your progress or ask for help on the community forum. ADVANCED TESTING Log ICP water analyses and PAR light readings to fine-tune even the most demanding reef. Track test-kit reagents: every logged test counts one down, and the app warns you before a kit runs dry. EQUIPMENT Keep a full inventory of pumps, lights, filters and more, with ratings and reviews to guide your next upgrade. Browse the product catalog by category or brand, see how many tanks run each product, and add one to your tank or shopping list straight from its page. A spending report totals what you've paid per store across livestock and equipment, filterable by tank and date range (Pro). EXPLORE AND CONNECT Search public tanks by what actually lives in them — look for a torch coral in the 15-30 gallon range and see how other nano reefs are scaped. Filter by tank style (mixed reef, SPS, LPS, soft coral, planted, macro algae, fish only), size, water type and recent activity, and open any tank to see its photos, parameters, gear and livestock. Browse a growing database of species and products, read and write reviews, like and comment on photos, and earn achievements as you go. Make your tank public to share its link, or copy a snapshot of its parameters, livestock and gear when asking for advice. Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Brazilian Portuguese. Start for free — new accounts log water parameters without limits for their first 30 days — then upgrade to Pro for advanced tracking and tools. The yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Get a daily AI suggestion based on your aquarium’s inhabitants, readings and care history. Privacy Policy: https://www.aquaticlog.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
NextUpReef
This app helps reef tank hobbyists manage their aquarium's health and equipment. It offers AI-powered analysis, parameter logging, smart outlet control, and community insights to optimize tank conditions and simplify maintenance.
- AI Reef Advisor for tank analysis
- Parameter logging and trend charting
- Smart outlet control for equipment
- Neptune Apex integration
- Tank setup and livestock tracking
- Smart reminders for maintenance
- Reef community insights
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NextUpReef is the reef tank app that keeps your whole system in one place: water chemistry, dosing, equipment, livestock, reminders and AI advice that actually knows your tank. Built for reefers, by a reefer. LOG A FULL TEST IN SECONDS Record alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, salinity, pH, temperature, ammonia and nitrite. Your last values pre-fill, and every entry is color-coded against your target range as you type. Pick your tank type (mixed reef, SPS, LPS, softie, nano, ULNS and more) for sensible default targets, or set your own. EVERY TREND, TWO SCORES — REEF PULSE See a chart for every parameter with your target range drawn in and water changes marked. Your Reef Score shows how healthy the tank is today; your Stability Score shows how steadily you keep it that way. Tap either score to see exactly what's helping and what's holding it back. REEF AI ADVISOR (PRO) A full analysis of your tank built from your own data: parameters and trends, water changes, livestock, equipment and dosing. See what's working, what needs attention and what to do next, ranked by urgency. Ask Reef AI Chat anything about your reef, check livestock compatibility with the Stocking Advisor, and log results by snapping a photo of your test kit. EVERY DOSE, ONE CHECKLIST The Dosing screen lists everything due today, whether you dose by hand, with your own pump or automatically. Tap Dosed to log it and watch whether alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are holding steady. Choose from 50+ common products with label strengths built in. Pro adds a dose calculator that dials in your daily dose from your own test trend, and a daily dosing reminder at the time you pick. CONTROL YOUR REEF GEAR (PRO) • Neptune Apex: sync temperature, pH, salinity and Trident alkalinity, calcium and magnesium into your logs; switch outlets; run Feed Mode; set heater temperatures; and schedule dosing with a built-in safety shutoff. • Shelly smart plugs: schedules run on the plug, even with no internet. For dosing pumps, each dose is confirmed by power draw and you're alerted if one is missed. • CoralVue HYDROS (early access): cloud-connected readings and control from anywhere. NEVER MISS A WATER CHANGE Schedule water changes and maintenance like filter socks, carbon and RO/DI filters. Reminders arrive inside the notification hours you choose. EVERYTHING IN YOUR TANK — MY REEF Track fish, corals and inverts with care info, plus equipment, lighting schedules, dosing, salt mix, monthly tank photos and what it all cost. NEW TO REEFING? NEW TANK GUIDE Follow six guided phases from setup through cycling, the ugly phase, first fish and first corals to an established reef, with a checklist for each step. LEARN FROM THE BEST TANKS — COMMUNITY Browse the leaderboard and see inside top-ranked tanks: their parameters, salt, lighting, equipment, dosing and water change habits. Compare your tank with others like it. Your tank stays private unless you choose to share it. ON THE BIG SCREEN Pro members can open the web dashboard at portal.nextupreef.com for full-screen charts and a CSV export of their readings. FREE TO START NextUpReef is free to download and use. NextUpReef Pro unlocks AI features, device control, the dose calculator, unlimited tanks and reminders, the web dashboard and more. Every new account gets a 30-day Pro trial with no payment details required. Privacy Policy: https://nextupreef.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://nextupreef.com/terms Questions or ideas: info@nextupreef.com Neptune Systems and Apex are trademarks of Neptune Systems. CoralVue and HYDROS are trademarks of CoralVue, Inc. Shelly is a trademark of Shelly Group. NextUpReef is independent and not affiliated with these companies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: AquaticLog at 4.2 against NextUpReef's 3.7. AquaticLog also leads on ratings volume (401 vs 3) and review sentiment (71% vs 50%). NextUpReef's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. AquaticLog sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and NextUpReef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
AquaticLog holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AquaticLog has 401 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of AquaticLog's written reviews are positive against 50% of NextUpReef's.
AquaticLog ships an update weekly, NextUpReef every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AquaticLog | NextUpReef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (401 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.5% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 401 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Lonnex Inc | Adam Winstead |
Customer experience
AquaticLog
NextUpReef
In-app purchases
AquaticLog
- Pro Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Pro Yearly Membership7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime Membership$149.99
NextUpReef
- NextUpReef Pro$4.991 Month
- NextUpReef Pro$39.991 Year









