# Whale Tracker vs Beach Buddy App

Whale Tracker and Beach Buddy App both sit at 4.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 57% of Whale Tracker's written reviews are positive against 0% of Beach Buddy App's. Whale Tracker also leads on ratings volume (28 vs 4). Beach Buddy App's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Whale Tracker sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Beach Buddy App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Whale Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whale Tracker has 28 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Whale Tracker's written reviews are positive against 0% of Beach Buddy App's.

Whale Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, Beach Buddy App every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Whale Tracker | Beach Buddy App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whale-tracker-sightings-map/id6751474710/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beach-buddy-app/id6758108792/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **28** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **57.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 28 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STEPHEN VICTOR HART](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835301190) | [Dawn Lindsay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870935733) |

## What reviewers say

### Whale Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whale-tracker-sightings-map/id6751474710)

Discover real-time, verified whale and shark sightings worldwide on a live map. Receive proximity alerts, track individual whales, and explore migration routes. Ideal for whale watchers, boaters, and ocean enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Live sightings map, Proximity alerts, Track individual whales, Worldwide coverage, Migration routes, Captain Mode for boaters

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Whale Tracker Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Whale Tracker Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Whale Tracker Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Whale Tracker Premium Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Whale Tracker Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Whale Tracker Premium Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Whale Tracker Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Whale Tracker Yearly | $22.99 | per year |
| Whale Tracker Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Unlock everything forever. | $64.99 | one-time |


### Beach Buddy App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beach-buddy-app/id6758108792)

Discover the best beaches with real-time information on surf, tides, weather, and marine hazards. Get alerts for shark activity and rip currents to ensure a safe and enjoyable day by the ocean.

**Highlights:** Global shark and marine activity map, Beach discovery and condition comparison, Real-time hazard alerts (sharks, rip currents), Integrated surf, tide, and weather data, Beach flag and official advisory information, Live beach and ocean camera feeds, Community reporting for sightings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beach Buddy Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Beach Buddy Vacation Pass | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Whale Tracker free?

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

### Is Beach Buddy App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Whale Tracker or Beach Buddy App?

Whale Tracker is rated higher. Whale Tracker averages 4.2 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Beach Buddy App averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Whale Tracker or Beach Buddy App have ads?

Neither Whale Tracker nor Beach Buddy App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Whale Tracker or Beach Buddy App?

Whale Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, and Beach Buddy App every 5 days. Most recently, Whale Tracker was updated on October 28, 2026 and Beach Buddy App on October 17, 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.*