Comparison

Cactus Watch vs BerkeleyCrime

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cactus Watch

Access real-time public safety incident information on your mobile device. View basic incident details for free, or upgrade for advanced features like interactive maps and push notifications.

Highlights
  • Live incident feed
  • Incident type and location
  • Dispatch time
  • Interactive live incident map
  • Push notifications
  • Customizable map themes
Features
Read full description

Cactus Watch provides real-time access to publicly available public safety incident information through a simple feed designed for mobile devices and optional premium features. The app is designed for situational awareness information in a mobile-friendly format. FREE ACCESS Cactus Watch includes a free experience that allows users to view basic incident information, including: - Incident type - Approximate location - Dispatch time - Live incident feed Basic situational awareness remains available at no cost. CACTUS WATCH PLUS Cactus Watch Plus enhances situational awareness with premium features: - Interactive live incident map - Day, night, and satellite map views - Push notifications - Fire station overlay - Custom map color themes - Manual refresh controls - Enhanced incident details Cactus Watch Plus provides premium features for viewing publicly available information in a mobile-friendly format. WHY CACTUS WATCH Cactus Watch is designed to make publicly available incident information easier to access, view, and understand on mobile devices. The value of the app is in speed, clarity, mapping, and usability, not ownership of the underlying data. DATA SOURCE Incident information is sourced from publicly available government public safety systems. Official source: https://maps.phoenix.gov/phxfire/rest/services/Active_Incidents__Public/MapServer IMPORTANT NOTICE Cactus Watch is an independent application and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government agency, fire department, EMS agency, public safety organization, or emergency dispatch center. Information may be delayed, incomplete, or unavailable. Not all incidents may be displayed. Cactus Watch is for informational and situational awareness purposes only and must not be used for emergency response or life-safety decisions. In an emergency, call 911. SUBSCRIPTIONS Cactus Watch Plus is an auto-renewing subscription billed through your Apple ID account. Payment is charged upon confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Manage or cancel anytime in your account settings. Support: support@cactuswatch.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

BerkeleyCrime

Features
Read full description

BerkeleyCrime keeps you informed about police, fire, and medical activity happening across the City of Berkeley, CA. Built for speed, clarity, and transparency, the app shows active and recent calls for service from the past 48 hours, with a typical delay of 10–20 minutes. No ads, just the information that matters. Key Features Live Incident Feed View active police, fire, and medical calls across Berkeley, updated throughout the day, with unit assignments and status shown for each call. Interactive Map See incidents plotted geographically, along with nearby fire stations and hospitals, so you can understand what's happening in context. Live Fire Department Unit Status Track Berkeley Fire Department units in real time. Clear Categories Incidents are color-coded by type to help you quickly understand what's happening nearby. Historical Search Search past calls by date range, department, incident type, address, or fire unit to identify patterns or check past activity. Where available, data including: arrests, response times, and call details are provided. Custom Push Notifications Choose exactly which call types you want to be notified about, from over 200 categories, so your alerts stay relevant to you. Fast & Lightweight The app pulls directly from Berkeley's public call-for-service data. Designed for the Community Built for residents, students, journalists, and anyone who wants quick situational awareness.

Screenshots

Cactus Watch4 screens
BerkeleyCrime4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BerkeleyCrime at none against Cactus Watch's 2. Cactus Watch's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.1). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cactus Watch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BerkeleyCrime asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cactus Watch ships an update every 9 days, BerkeleyCrime every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Cactus Watch versus BerkeleyCrime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCactus WatchBerkeleyCrime
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB4 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLedyz LLCBGHDDevelopment LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Cactus Watch

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$54.991 Year
None

BerkeleyCrime

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cactus Watch free?
Cactus Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BerkeleyCrime free?
BerkeleyCrime is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cactus Watch or BerkeleyCrime have ads?
Neither Cactus Watch nor BerkeleyCrime shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cactus Watch or BerkeleyCrime?
Cactus Watch ships an update every 9 days, and BerkeleyCrime every 10 days. Most recently, Cactus Watch was updated on October 17, 2026 and BerkeleyCrime on October 5, 2026.

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