ReefMate vs NextUpReef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ReefMate
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ReefMate is a reef and saltwater aquarium manager. Log tests, track water parameters and stay on top of maintenance so your tank stays stable. Set up your tank in minutes, log a water test or water change in seconds, and get clear insights, reminders and calculators in one clean app. Your tank data stays on your device. KEY FEATURES Guided Setup - Tell ReefMate your tank type, size and routine. It suggests parameter targets and a care schedule, and you can edit everything later. Home Dashboard & Quick Log - See today's tasks, a tank snapshot and a stability score at a glance. - Log a water test, water change or maintenance in seconds. Water Parameters Tracker - Track temperature, salinity, alkalinity (KH), calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate and pH. - Range indicators show when a reading is in range or drifting outside it. - Charts and trends for day, week, month, 90-day and all-time views. - Set your own targets for each parameter. Tanks & Livestock - Create unlimited tanks, each with its own parameters and livestock. - Add fish, corals and invertebrates with photos and notes. - A per-tank timeline of water changes, maintenance and events. Reminders & Notifications - Stay consistent with water changes, KH checks, feedings, filter cleaning and more. - Custom reminders with repeat schedules and notifications. Smart Calculators & Costs - Tank volume, live rock, sand, flow rate, temperature and salinity (salt mix) calculators. - Expenses & Loss Tracking to monitor livestock costs, losses and long-term impact. Reef & Livestock Guide - 120+ species profiles across fish, corals and invertebrates. - Fish guides: Clownfish, Tangs, Angelfish, Gobies, Wrasses, Blennies and more. - Coral guides: SPS, LPS and soft corals such as Acropora, Montipora, Euphyllia, Zoanthids and Mushrooms. - Invertebrates: shrimp, crabs, snails, starfish and urchins. - Care tips, compatibility notes and lighting or flow preferences for each species. WHY REEFMATE? - Designed for iPhone and iPad, with light and dark appearance. - Your tank data stays on your device. - Helpful for beginners and experienced reefers alike. - Built by reef hobbyists, for reef hobbyists. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ReefMate is a subscription app: an active subscription is required to use it. Plans: Monthly and Annual. Available plans, prices and any free-trial offer are shown in the app before you subscribe; trial length and eligibility may vary by plan. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase or, if a free trial is offered, when the trial ends. - Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings (Settings > your name > Subscriptions). Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://emkapps.com/reefmate-privacy-policy/ Terms & Conditions: https://emkapps.com/reefmate-termsconditions/ Apple Standard End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
NextUpReef
Manage your entire reef tank system in one app. Track water chemistry, dosing, equipment, and livestock with AI-powered advice tailored to your specific tank. Includes reminders and a guide for new reefers.
- Water chemistry logging
- Dosing checklists
- Equipment control (Pro)
- Livestock tracking
- AI-powered tank analysis
- New tank guide
- Community tank comparisons
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NextUpReef is the reef tank app that keeps your whole system in one place: water chemistry, dosing, equipment, livestock, reminders and AI advice that actually knows your tank. Built for reefers, by a reefer. LOG A FULL TEST IN SECONDS Record alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, salinity, pH, temperature, ammonia and nitrite. Your last values pre-fill, and every entry is color-coded against your target range as you type. Pick your tank type (mixed reef, SPS, LPS, softie, nano, ULNS and more) for sensible default targets, or set your own. EVERY TREND, TWO SCORES — REEF PULSE See a chart for every parameter with your target range drawn in and water changes marked. Your Reef Score shows how healthy the tank is today; your Stability Score shows how steadily you keep it that way. Tap either score to see exactly what's helping and what's holding it back. REEF AI ADVISOR (PRO) A full analysis of your tank built from your own data: parameters and trends, water changes, livestock, equipment and dosing. See what's working, what needs attention and what to do next, ranked by urgency. Ask Reef AI Chat anything about your reef, check livestock compatibility with the Stocking Advisor, and log results by snapping a photo of your test kit. EVERY DOSE, ONE CHECKLIST The Dosing screen lists everything due today, whether you dose by hand, with your own pump or automatically. Tap Dosed to log it and watch whether alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are holding steady. Choose from 50+ common products with label strengths built in. Pro adds a dose calculator that dials in your daily dose from your own test trend, and a daily dosing reminder at the time you pick. CONTROL YOUR REEF GEAR (PRO) • Neptune Apex: sync temperature, pH, salinity and Trident alkalinity, calcium and magnesium into your logs; switch outlets; run Feed Mode; set heater temperatures; and schedule dosing with a built-in safety shutoff. • Shelly smart plugs: schedules run on the plug, even with no internet. For dosing pumps, each dose is confirmed by power draw and you're alerted if one is missed. • CoralVue HYDROS (early access): cloud-connected readings and control from anywhere. NEVER MISS A WATER CHANGE Schedule water changes and maintenance like filter socks, carbon and RO/DI filters. Reminders arrive inside the notification hours you choose. EVERYTHING IN YOUR TANK — MY REEF Track fish, corals and inverts with care info, plus equipment, lighting schedules, dosing, salt mix, monthly tank photos and what it all cost. NEW TO REEFING? NEW TANK GUIDE Follow six guided phases from setup through cycling, the ugly phase, first fish and first corals to an established reef, with a checklist for each step. LEARN FROM THE BEST TANKS — COMMUNITY Browse the leaderboard and see inside top-ranked tanks: their parameters, salt, lighting, equipment, dosing and water change habits. Compare your tank with others like it. Your tank stays private unless you choose to share it. ON THE BIG SCREEN Pro members can open the web dashboard at portal.nextupreef.com for full-screen charts and a CSV export of their readings. FREE TO START NextUpReef is free to download and use. NextUpReef Pro unlocks AI features, device control, the dose calculator, unlimited tanks and reminders, the web dashboard and more. Every new account gets a 30-day Pro trial with no payment details required. Privacy Policy: https://nextupreef.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://nextupreef.com/terms Questions or ideas: info@nextupreef.com Neptune Systems and Apex are trademarks of Neptune Systems. CoralVue and HYDROS are trademarks of CoralVue, Inc. Shelly is a trademark of Shelly Group. NextUpReef is independent and not affiliated with these companies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NextUpReef at every 4 days against ReefMate's every 5 weeks. NextUpReef also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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
Both are free to download. ReefMate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and NextUpReef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ReefMate ships an update every 5 weeks, NextUpReef every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ReefMate | NextUpReef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.7 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 133 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mustafa Kulac | Adam Winstead |
In-app purchases
ReefMate
- Monthly$4.991 Month
- Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
NextUpReef
- NextUpReef Pro$4.991 Month
- NextUpReef Pro$39.991 Year








