Comparison

Reef Trak vs SunnyReef

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

Head to head
About

Reef Trak

This app helps reef tank enthusiasts manage all aspects of their aquarium, from daily testing and livestock records to equipment tracking and maintenance schedules. It provides tools for data analysis, trend spotting, and preventing costly mistakes, offering both free and premium features.

Highlights
  • Parameter logging and trend charts
  • Livestock library with care profiles
  • Tank health snapshots and data export
  • Equipment and maintenance tracking
  • Dosing calculators and unit converters
  • Progress photo logging
Features
Read full description

Reef Trak is an all-in-one reef tank manager for reef keepers who want more than a basic parameter log. Track water parameters, plan dosing, schedule maintenance, manage livestock, save photos, build PAR maps, import controller data, track expenses, and create reports across iOS and the web. Build a complete reef care history, then export real tank data to AI tools with TrakAI. FREE TO START. ONE-TIME PREMIUM UPGRADE. Reef Trak includes a free version with parameter tracking and core reef tank tools. Reef Trak Premium is available as a one-time upgrade. No monthly subscription. No yearly subscription. Pay once and use Premium tools without another recurring app bill. PARAMETERS Track alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, salinity, temperature, pH, ORP, iodine, potassium, trace elements, and other reef tank parameters. Follow trends, spot drift, review stability, and see clear in-range or out-of-range indicators. DOSING Plan and track two-part, All-For-Reef, kalkwasser, trace elements, supplements, and custom routines. Use manual and guided dosing tools, bottle tracking, dose logging, reminders, and parameter connections to keep dosing tied to your real tank history. MAINTENANCE Create recurring tasks for water changes, filter swaps, probe calibration, dosing reminders, equipment checks, deep cleans, and custom care routines. Use weekly, fortnightly, monthly, yearly, every N days, or specific weekday schedules. Home screen widgets help show what is due today. LIVESTOCK Catalog fish, coral, and inverts with photos, care notes, acquisition history, tank placement, and long-term records. PAR MAPS Capture PAR readings across your reef tank and map them visually to understand coral placement, lighting coverage, and tank zones. TRAKTONE PHOTO & VIDEO CORRECTION Reef lighting can make photos and videos look far more blue than they appear in person. TrakTone helps correct reef tank photos and videos so corals, fish, and aquascapes look closer to what your eyes see. EQUIPMENT, EXPENSES & RECEIPTS Track equipment, food, dosing products, livestock purchases, maintenance costs, and other reef expenses. Receipt Scan Assist helps turn receipts into structured expense records. CONTROLLER IMPORTS & ICP TESTING Bring reef tank data into Reef Trak from supported controllers and testing systems, including Apex, Trident, and more. Track ICP results and keep lab testing connected to your tank history. EMAIL UPDATES Get reef-themed tank summary emails to stay connected to what is happening across your tanks, especially when managing multiple aquariums. REPORTS & AI EXPORTS Export parameter summaries, dosing logs, maintenance history, livestock notes, and other tank records in formats ready for AI tools. PRIVACY & DATA CONTROL Your tanks are your data. Reef Trak does not run ads and does not sell reef hobbyist data. Your reef records are protected with encryption on your device and on our backend. Free CSV export lets you take your tank history wherever you need it. Reef Trak is actively developed with frequent updates shaped by the reefkeeping community.

About

SunnyReef

Features
Read full description

SunnyReef is a marine aquarium journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Log water tests, watch trends on charts, import ICP lab reports, plan your dosing and ask an AI assistant about your reef — all in one place, synced through iCloud. TESTS & PARAMETERS • 12 parameters: KH, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), nitrate (NO₃), phosphate (PO₄), pH, salinity, temperature, plus trace elements: potassium (K), strontium (Sr), iodine and iron (Fe) • A clear status for every parameter against its target range — with custom ranges for your own tank • Historical charts and statistics: parameter trends over time ICP REPORTS • Import lab results from: Aquaforest Lab, ATI ICP, Triton, Fauna Marin, Oceamo • Values are read from the report automatically by an AI agent and compared with your previous tests (requires an AI key — see below) BRING YOUR HISTORY • CSV import from Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets — carry your existing measurement history with you DOSING • A new Dosing tab: set each supplement schedule once — a periodic table of elements shows every item at a glance • Bottle supply warnings 7 and 3 days ahead • Estimated level on the Dashboard, History chart and Dosing table — measured values and their statuses never change • A dose advisor computes real consumption from your tests and ICP and suggests a safe dose — always a suggestion, never auto-dosing • Label converter (ml/drops, L/gal, mg/µg per litre, dKH) and a salt batch profile LIVESTOCK & FEEDING • Track your fish, corals and invertebrates — species, purchase batches with prices and dates • Loss history with cause and note — undo an accidental loss and the animal returns to your living stock • Group feeding: one food, frequency and notes for a whole category; any species can have its own plan • The AI assistant knows your livestock — ask about stocking compatibility or have it set the feeding plan GALLERY, CALENDAR, REMINDERS • Reef photos with water parameters from the nearest test saved in the background • Calendar with daily notes • Reminders with notifications — water changes, tests, top-offs MULTIPLE AQUARIUMS • Separate tank profiles, including saved lighting settings SYNC & BACKUPS • iCloud sync between iPhone, iPad and Mac • Automatic backup to a folder of your choice (e.g. iCloud Drive), plus manual export and restore of a .sunnyreef file AI ASSISTANT — WITH YOUR OWN KEY SunnyReef connects to AI models using your own API key: • Claude (Anthropic) — paid key, highest quality analysis, understands photos • Gemini (Google) — free key, fully functional agent with photo analysis The assistant knows your results, answers questions about your parameters, analyzes coral photos and saves notes on your request. AI answers are informational and do not replace the knowledge and judgment of an experienced reef keeper. SUNNYREEF PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION SunnyReef requires an active SunnyReef Premium subscription — one plan unlocks the full app: tests, charts, ICP imports, CSV import, dosing, livestock and feeding, gallery, calendar, reminders, multiple aquariums, iCloud sync, backups and the AI assistant interface. • 14-day free trial, then $3.99 per month or $24.99 per year (prices may vary by region) • The subscription renews automatically; billed through your Apple ID account; cancel anytime in your subscription settings • You can export a backup of your data at any time — even without an active subscription • AI API keys are independent from the subscription — you pay your AI provider for your own usage (Gemini offers a free tier) • Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ PRIVACY • Your data stays with you — on your device and in your private iCloud • The developer collects no data (App Privacy: "Data Not Collected") • API keys are stored securely in the system keychain • AI requests go directly to the provider you choose (Anthropic or Google) — details in the privacy policy Available in English, French, German, Japanese and Polish.

Screenshots

Reef Trak4 screens
SunnyReef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SunnyReef at every 3 days against Reef Trak's weekly. Reef Trak's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Reef Trak sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and SunnyReef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reef Trak ships an update weekly, SunnyReef every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Reef Trak versus SunnyReef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReef TrakSunnyReef
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (44 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings44 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size121 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReef Research Labs LLCLukasz Litwin

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reef Trak

Subscriptions1
  • Reef Trak Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Reef Trak Lifetime$9.99
2 purchases

SunnyReef

Subscriptions2
  • SunnyReef Premium Monthly14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • SunnyReef Premium Annual14 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Reef Trak free?
Reef Trak is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SunnyReef free?
SunnyReef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reef Trak or SunnyReef have ads?
Neither Reef Trak nor SunnyReef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reef Trak or SunnyReef?
Reef Trak ships an update weekly, and SunnyReef every 3 days. Most recently, Reef Trak was updated on October 23, 2026 and SunnyReef on October 23, 2026.

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