# ReefBay vs TankSide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TankSide at none against ReefBay's 4. TankSide also leads on ads (none vs shown). ReefBay's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ReefBay sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. TankSide asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReefBay ships an update weekly, TankSide monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ReefBay | TankSide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (455 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reefbay/id6478054386/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **455** | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 88 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toolit Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1331221462) | [Caden Bartlett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889384537) |

## What reviewers say

### ReefBay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reefbay/id6478054386)

Manage your saltwater aquarium with this app. Track water parameters, log inhabitants, and get task reminders. Connect with a community of hobbyists, explore a marketplace, and access guides for a thriving reef tank.

**Highlights:** Local marketplace for buying/selling, Explore coral and fish listings, Personalized tank profiles, Water parameter tracking, Community forums and support, Task reminders for maintenance, Aquarium guides and resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReefBay DeepDive | $4.99 | per month |
| ReefBay DeepDive | $4.99 | per month |
| ReefBay DeepDive | $29.99 | per year |
| ReefBay DeepDive | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 📊 Comprehensive parameter tracking with visual graphs
- 🌐 Active community for sharing and learning
- 🛒 Integrated marketplace for buying/selling coral and equipment
- 💬 Social hub connecting reef keepers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Coral identification feature is inaccurate
- 🎨 Inconsistent UI presentation and design
- ❌ Navigation dead ends and UI issues
- 📧 Excessive email notifications despite unsubscribing
- 🔐 Account deletion/data loss concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Coral ID misidentifies corals as fish
- App stopped working after update
- Cannot click create button due to text overlap
- Account mysteriously deleted
- Unsubscribe function not working for emails

**Requested features**

- Add ammonia and nitrite to water parameter tracking
- Improve coral identification accuracy
- Enhance UI consistency and presentation
- Better email notification management


### TankSide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tankside/id6766981651)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ReefBay free?

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

### Is TankSide free?

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

### Do ReefBay or TankSide have ads?

ReefBay shows ads; TankSide does not.

### Which is updated more often, ReefBay or TankSide?

ReefBay ships an update weekly, and TankSide monthly. Most recently, ReefBay was updated on October 20, 2026 and TankSide on October 16, 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.*