Comparison

Dive Shearwater vs Bubble Deco

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

Head to head
About

Dive Shearwater

This app serves as a digital dive log, allowing divers to meticulously record their underwater adventures. It features interactive maps to track explored locations and integrates with specific hardware to automatically capture dive site coordinates. Designed for simplicity and reliability, it helps divers organize records and plan future dives.

Highlights
  • Interactive dive maps
  • Automatic dive site coordinate capture
  • Streamlined user experience
  • Dive history tracking
  • Gear setup refinement
  • Dive planning tools
Features
Read full description

The world is your dive log. Built for simplicity and reliability, Dive Shearwater gives you the tools you need now and the foundation for even more powerful features in the future. More than just another dive log - With an improved user flow and streamlined experience, Dive Shearwater feels intuitive and easy to use. Keep your records organized and focus on the details that matter most to every diver. Track your adventures - Use the interactive dive maps to build your own personal guide of the places you’ve explored. Automatically capture dive site coordinates with the new Swift GPS transmitter on any air integrated Shearwater computer. Whether you're marking new dive sites, refining your gear setup, or simply keeping your dive history pristine, Dive Shearwater delivers a seamless, intuitive experience tailored for divers of all skill levels who value precision and adventure. Together, Shearwater dive computers and the Dive Shearwater app form a complete ecosystem—delivering precision in the water and clarity on land. Dive Shearwater builds on our core principles of being powerful, simple and reliable, while giving you the dive tools you need to track, reflect, and plan your next adventure with confidence.

About

Bubble Deco

Features
Read full description

Real Bühlmann decompression planning, in your pocket. One price, yours to keep – no subscription, no account, no ads. Bubble Deco is a precise, modern decompression planner for technical divers. It runs the Bühlmann ZHL-16C algorithm with gradient factors entirely on your phone, so it works offline – on the boat, at the quarry or on the dive site. PLAN A DIVE IN SECONDS Enter depth, time and gas. Bubble Deco calculates the full stop schedule as you type: runtime, every deco stop, CNS%, OTUs, gas use and a depth profile with the deco ceiling drawn over it. GRADIENT FACTORS YOUR WAY Set GF Low and GF High to match your training and conservatism. Each stop shows the gradient factor it was calculated at, so you can see exactly how the plan was built. OPEN CIRCUIT, NITROX, TRIMIX AND CCR Plan air, nitrox and trimix with as many deco gases as your dive needs – add and remove stages freely, or use one-tap presets (O2 6m, EAN50 21m, Tx35/25, Tx21/35). Plan closed-circuit rebreather dives with set points and as many bailout gases as you carry. BAILOUT WITH THE CYLINDERS YOU OWN Save your tanks – label, serial number, gas and service dates – then tick the ones you're carrying. Bubble Deco checks your CCR bailout gas bottle by bottle and flags anything that falls short. GAS TOOLS Partial-pressure gas blender, MOD, ppO2, EAD, END, EADD, NDL, best nitrox and best trimix for a target depth. BUILT FOR REAL DIVING DAYS Multi-level dives, repetitive dives with tissue loading carried over, altitude diving, per-diver profiles, a dive calendar and a dive log with your stats. Share a plan card with your buddy or export to UDDF/CSV. SIX LANGUAGES English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. WHY BUBBLE DECO Made in the UK by IceBubble, a small independent software company. Bubble Deco is actively developed, with new features added regularly – tell us what you'd like next using the feedback link in the app. IMPORTANT Bubble Deco is a planning aid only. Always dive within your training and certification, and always carry a certified dive computer. Decompression diving carries inherent risk.

Screenshots

Dive Shearwater4 screens
Bubble Deco4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dive Shearwater at Free against Bubble Deco's $4.99. Bubble Deco's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Dive Shearwater is free to download; Bubble Deco costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dive Shearwater ships an update monthly, Bubble Deco weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Dive Shearwater versus Bubble Deco: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDive ShearwaterBubble Deco
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating1.6 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews8.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB60 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperShearwater ResearchIceBubble Ltd

In-app purchases

None

Dive Shearwater

No in-app purchases

None

Bubble Deco

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dive Shearwater free?
Dive Shearwater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bubble Deco free?
Bubble Deco costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dive Shearwater or Bubble Deco have ads?
Neither Dive Shearwater nor Bubble Deco shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dive Shearwater or Bubble Deco?
Dive Shearwater ships an update monthly, and Bubble Deco weekly. Most recently, Dive Shearwater was updated on October 30, 2026 and Bubble Deco on October 24, 2026.

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