# Wastewater Trends vs Virus Watcher

The clearest difference is update cadence: Virus Watcher at every 4 weeks against Wastewater Trends's every 4 months. Virus Watcher also leads on ratings volume (27 vs 8) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Wastewater Trends holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 27 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Wastewater Trends ships an update every 4 months, Virus Watcher every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wastewater Trends | Virus Watcher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wastewater-trends/id6475651538/reviews)** | [4.7 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virus-watcher/id6749778825/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Rothenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724673668) | [Virus Watcher Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783124591) |

## What reviewers say

### Wastewater Trends

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wastewater-trends/id6475651538)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Virus Watcher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virus-watcher/id6749778825)

Track global disease outbreaks and health risks in real-time. Get verified news, country-specific advisories, and personalized alerts to stay informed and prepared wherever you are.

**Highlights:** Global outbreak map, Real-time health news, Travel health advisories, Personalized outbreak alerts, Disease details and prevention, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wastewater Trends free?

Wastewater Trends is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Virus Watcher free?

Virus Watcher is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Wastewater Trends or Virus Watcher?

Wastewater Trends is rated higher. Wastewater Trends averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Virus Watcher averages 4.7 from 27 ratings.

### Do Wastewater Trends or Virus Watcher have ads?

Neither Wastewater Trends nor Virus Watcher shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Wastewater Trends or Virus Watcher?

Wastewater Trends ships an update every 4 months, and Virus Watcher every 4 weeks. Most recently, Wastewater Trends was updated on November 4, 2026 and Virus Watcher on October 30, 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.*