Comparison

Reef Book vs Reef Diary Aquarium Management

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

Head to head
About

Reef Book

Features
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Smart Logbook for Aquarists Record a water test in seconds, see whether each reading is in range, and follow how your aquarium changes over time. Reef Book keeps every aquarium’s history together across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Set up each reef, planted tank, freshwater aquarium, or other aquatic system with the parameters you test, the units you use, and the ranges you want to maintain. Record Without Friction • Open Quick Record from the app, a widget, or a Shortcut • Type an exact value or adjust it with a precision slider • Keep repeated tests as separate readings instead of losing the individual results • Mark frequently tested parameters as favorites for quicker access Understand Your Results • See which readings are within range and which need attention • Follow changes across recent results or your complete history • Use the activity heatmap to see when you tested and spot gaps • Compare supported conversions directly from a logged reading • Add notes and suggested tags for maintenance, dosing, livestock changes, and other events Share and Stay in Sync • Invite other aquarists to view or contribute to the same logbook • Create a shareable summary, preview it, and choose what to include • Keep every device up to date through iCloud • Schedule automatic backups and choose how many to keep • Use Reef Book without creating another account Plus fun iMessage stickers!

About

Reef Diary Aquarium Management

Manage your reef or freshwater aquarium with this comprehensive tool. Track water parameters, schedule maintenance, and monitor your aquatic life and equipment. Works offline to keep your ecosystem healthy and thriving.

Highlights
  • Smart parameter tracking for reef and freshwater
  • Visual trend charts for water parameters
  • Multiple tank support
  • Equipment and livestock inventory
  • Maintenance task scheduler with reminders
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

ReefDiary helps reef keepers stay organized, spot changes earlier, and build better care habits for saltwater aquariums. Whether you are maintaining your first nano reef or managing a mature mixed reef, ReefDiary gives you a calm, structured place to record what matters and understand how your aquarium is doing over time. Log key water parameters such as temperature, salinity, pH, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, and more. Keep your test history organized so you can review trends instead of relying on memory or scattered notes. Create maintenance tasks for water changes, filter cleaning, dosing, feeding, testing, equipment checks, livestock care, and recurring routines. ReefDiary helps you keep track of what needs attention so important aquarium care does not slip through the cracks. Manage livestock with dedicated records for fish, coral, invertebrates, and other reef inhabitants. Add names, species details, care notes, purchase dates, observations, and status updates so your tank history stays easy to follow. Use the dashboard to get a quick overview of your reef. See recent activity, upcoming tasks, current health signals, and the information you need most when checking in on your aquarium. Review analytics and health insights to better understand your tank’s stability. ReefDiary turns your logs into useful patterns so you can notice parameter swings, track progress, and make more confident reef keeping decisions. Record observations, changes, and important events as they happen. Add notes after testing, dosing, livestock additions, equipment changes, coral placement, or unusual behavior so you always have context for future decisions. ReefDiary is designed for hobbyists who want less guesswork and more consistency. Instead of jumping between spreadsheets, reminders, notebooks, and photos, you can keep your reef diary in one dedicated place built around aquarium care. Use ReefDiary to: Track water test results over time Monitor aquarium health and stability Plan and complete maintenance tasks Keep livestock records organized Record dosing, feeding, and care notes Review trends and recent changes Build a reliable history of your reef Stay consistent with routine tank care Reef keeping rewards patience, observation, and consistency. ReefDiary helps support those habits by making it easier to document your tank, understand what changed, and stay ahead of maintenance. Start building a clearer history of your reef today with ReefDiary. reefdiary.io SUBSCRIPTIONS MoneyDiary Pro Monthly • 1-month auto-renewable subscription • Price is displayed in your local currency before purchase. MoneyDiary Pro Yearly • 1-year auto-renewable subscription • Price is displayed in your local currency before purchase. MoneyDiary Enterprise Monthly • 1-month auto-renewable subscription • Price is displayed in your local currency before purchase. MoneyDiary Enterprise Yearly • 1-year auto-renewable subscription • Price is displayed in your local currency before purchase. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscriptions at any time in your App Store Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://moneydiary.io/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reef Book4 screens
Reef Diary Aquarium Management4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Reef Diary Aquarium Management at Free against Reef Book's $5.99. Reef Diary Aquarium Management also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Reef Book's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On 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

Reef Diary Aquarium Management is free to download; Reef Book costs $5.99 up front. Reef Diary Aquarium Management sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Reef Book asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reef Book ships an update every 6 months, Reef Diary Aquarium Management monthly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Reef Book versus Reef Diary Aquarium Management: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReef BookReef Diary Aquarium Management
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReefSoft LLCChristian Buchholz

In-app purchases

None

Reef Book

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Reef Diary Aquarium Management

Subscriptions4
  • Reef Diary - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Reef Diary - Yearly$24.991 Year
  • Enterprise Monthly Subscription$89.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • ReefDiary Yearly Enterprise$699.001 Year

Questions

Is Reef Book free?
Reef Book costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reef Diary Aquarium Management free?
Reef Diary Aquarium Management is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reef Book or Reef Diary Aquarium Management have ads?
Neither Reef Book nor Reef Diary Aquarium Management shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reef Book or Reef Diary Aquarium Management?
Reef Book ships an update every 6 months, and Reef Diary Aquarium Management monthly. Most recently, Reef Book was updated on October 30, 2026 and Reef Diary Aquarium Management on October 30, 2026.

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