Wastewater Trends vs Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Wastewater Trends
Monitor community COVID-19 infection levels using national wastewater surveillance data. Visualize trends with interactive charts and home screen widgets to stay informed about viral activity in your area.
- Wastewater surveillance data for COVID-19
- National and regional trend insights
- Interactive viral load charts
- Home screen widgets for quick updates
- Community infection level monitoring
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Track COVID-19, Flu & RSV Trends with Wastewater Data Stay informed about the relative level of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV activity in your community with data from the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). This app uses wastewater testing to detect traces of viral activity circulating in your area, helping you understand infection trends and plan accordingly. Features: • Three Viruses, One App: Switch between COVID-19, flu (Influenza A), and RSV to see what's circulating. • National and Regional Insights: View trends across the U.S. or focus on specific regions like the Northeast, South, Midwest, or West. • Interactive Charts: Explore clear and intuitive visuals of viral activity data to track changes over time. • Handy Widgets: Add widgets to your home screen for at-a-glance updates on local or national trends. Whether you're monitoring for personal awareness, making decisions for your household, or simply curious about the data, this app provides an easy and insightful way to stay informed. Download now and stay ahead of community health trends.
Trace
Understand your exposure to microplastics with a personalized assessment and science-backed recommendations. Learn about sources, track your progress, and make informed choices for a healthier life and a cleaner environment.
- Personalized microplastic exposure score
- Customized reduction recommendations
- Local tap water quality reports
- Progress tracking over time
- Educational content on microplastics
- Actionable insights for daily life
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Trace helps you understand and reduce your exposure to harmful microplastics in everyday life. Through our science-backed assessment, you'll learn your personal microplastics risk score and get customized recommendations to minimize your exposure. Key Features: • Personalized Assessment: Answer questions about your diet, home habits, and lifestyle to calculate your unique microplastics exposure score. • Water Quality Reports (Premium Feature): Access detailed information about microplastics and chemicals in your local tap water based on your zip code. • Actionable Insights: Receive practical, easy-to-implement recommendations to reduce your plastic consumption. • Progress Tracking: Monitor your improvement over time as you implement changes. • Educational Content (Premium Feature): Learn about microplastics sources and their impact on health through engaging visuals and facts. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles found in our food, water, and air. The average person ingests about 5 grams of plastic weekly—equivalent to a credit card—and may consume up to 46 pounds of microplastics in their lifetime. These particles can contain harmful chemicals that affect hormones, immunity, and overall health. Trace empowers you to make informed choices about your health by highlighting hidden sources of microplastics in your daily routine and suggesting safer alternatives. Whether it's switching from plastic food containers, choosing better laundry detergents, or improving your water filtration, Trace provides practical steps anyone can take to reduce their microplastic intake. Join thousands of Trace users who are taking control of their health and helping create a cleaner environment for future generations. Download today and start your journey toward a life with fewer microplastics. Note: Some features require a premium subscription to access. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Wastewater Trends at 100% against Trace's 50%. Wastewater Trends also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). Trace's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (28 vs 7). On price 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. Trace sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Wastewater Trends asks for nothing beyond the download.
Wastewater Trends holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 28 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Wastewater Trends's written reviews are positive against 50% of Trace's.
Wastewater Trends ships an update every 4 months, Trace daily. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Wastewater Trends | Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (7 ratings) — better | 4.6 (28 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 28 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matthew Rothenberg | Control. Alt. Delete. LLC |
Customer experience
Wastewater Trends
Trace
In-app purchases
Wastewater Trends
No in-app purchases
Trace
- premium weekly$4.997 Days
- premium weekly with trial3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Subscription to Trace$9.991 Year
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- Trace Premium Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- premium yearly$29.991 Year









