# Polar vs Pool Buddy

The clearest difference is ads: Polar at none against Pool Buddy's shown. Pool Buddy's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.4). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $25.00 per year and Pool Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Polar ships an update every 5 weeks, Pool Buddy every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polar | Pool Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 69 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GivEnergy Software Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711761312) | [Darran Horan](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791649758) |

## What reviewers say

### Polar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-ess/id6478309215)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Subscription | $25.00 | per year |


### Pool Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pool-buddy-water-testing/id6791649756)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polar free?

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

### Is Pool Buddy free?

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

### Do Polar or Pool Buddy have ads?

Pool Buddy shows ads; Polar does not.

### Which is updated more often, Polar or Pool Buddy?

Polar ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pool Buddy every 2 days. Most recently, Polar was updated on September 20, 2026 and Pool Buddy on October 24, 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.*