Comparison

Tanksmith vs ReefDrift

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

Head to head
About

Tanksmith

This app helps reef aquarium owners meticulously track water parameters, equipment maintenance, and livestock with photos. It offers detailed logging for water chemistry, test kits, and salt batches, with an optional pro version for advanced features like multi-tank management and PDF reporting.

Highlights
  • Offline reef tank logbook
  • Water parameter tracking
  • Equipment service logging
  • Livestock and coral photo management
  • Test kit and salt batch recording
  • Multi-tank management (Pro)
  • Tank Report PDF generation (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Tanksmith is an offline logbook for reef aquariums. Keep water readings, equipment service, livestock and coral photos together on your device. No account, app cloud sync, subscription or ads. Optional usage analytics stay off until you choose to enable them. FREE FEATURES Log alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, salinity, temperature, pH, ORP, ammonia and nitrite. See readings and trends over time; Tanksmith does not prescribe universal target ranges. Record test-kit brands, lot numbers and label-based expiry dates, plus the salt batch you are using. Set equipment service intervals and keep a livestock list with photos, sources and placement notes. The free tier includes one tank, 40 parameter readings and three livestock entries per tank. TANKSMITH PRO — ONE-TIME PURCHASE Manage multiple tanks, with unlimited readings and livestock. Add dated coral photos, compare two images side by side, and record frag lineage. Create a Tank Report PDF with recent trends, livestock and equipment-service status. Dosing analysis shows the measured net daily trend in alkalinity and calcium. After enough consistent readings, an unchanged routine, and confirmation of the exact liquid Red Sea Foundation A/B/C preparation and actual water volume, Tanksmith may show a bounded additional estimate for that formulation only. This is not a total daily prescription. Randy Recipe #1, BRS 2-Part, Aquaforest Component 1+/2+/3+, ESV B-Ionic and Tropic Marin All-For-Reef show product guidance but no automatic mL estimate. Follow the product label, adjust gradually and retest before dosing, especially if you followed an earlier estimate. WHY OFFLINE Tank records are stored on your device. If you share a Tank Report PDF, iOS sends the report to the destination you select. Photos are accessed only when you choose to attach one. Optional usage analytics use Google Analytics for Firebase and exclude tank records, notes, search text, health information and advertising identifiers. You can change your choice in Settings. Your tank history is yours to keep.

About

ReefDrift

Features
Read full description

Log every reef parameter in seconds. ReefDrift calculates a Tank Stability Score — Stable, Watch, or Danger — the instant you save a reading. Catch a 0.3 dKH swing before it costs $500 in coral. No account. No cloud. Just your tank data, on your device. LOG THE BIG THREE AND EVERYTHING ELSE Alkalinity (dKH), Calcium, Magnesium — the parameters reef keepers obsess over. Plus Nitrate, Phosphate, pH, Salinity, Temperature, Ammonia, and Nitrite. Last values pre-fill automatically so a full test set takes under ten seconds, not one screen per parameter. TANK STABILITY SCORE ReefDrift calculates a Stable, Watch, or Danger score the instant you save a reading. The score weights every parameter against your target band and flags drift between sessions. A single alk swing from 8.4 to 7.1 dKH registers as Danger before you wonder why a frag is pale. Out-of-range chips light up on the dashboard immediately — no digging, no scrolling. DOSING CALCULATOR — WIRED TO YOUR TANK BRS 2-part, ESV B-Ionic, Red Sea Foundation, Aquaforest KH Coralline, and custom products. Enter tank volume and current reading; ReefDrift gives you the exact dose to hit your target. Works for alk, cal, mag, NO3, and PO4. The math uses your real tank volume, not a generic estimate. TREND CHARTS WITH TARGET-RANGE BANDS Every reading plotted on a line chart with your target band overlaid. See whether alkalinity is riding the top of the band, drifting toward the floor, or cycling after a large dose. Adjust the time window from 7 days to 12 months. MAINTENANCE LOG Record water changes, GFO swaps, ATO top-offs, carbon additions, and frag-tank moves. Cross-reference maintenance events against parameter charts to see what actually moved the needle. TEST REMINDERS Set a reminder per parameter or per task. ReefDrift sends a local notification on schedule — no server required. Never miss a Friday alk test again. HOME SCREEN WIDGET Your last three parameters and next task on your iPhone home screen or lock screen. See your tank status without opening the app. BUILT BY REEF HOBBYISTS We run SPS-dominant systems. We have watched a two-week alk drift destroy a $2,000 Acropora collection. We built ReefDrift because every existing option was either abandoned, clunky, cloud-first, or a bloated social network with a parameter logger bolted on. ReefDrift is ruthlessly focused: fast log, honest score, useful calculator. Nothing else. PRIVACY — YOUR DATA STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE No account. No cloud. No login. All readings are stored locally on your iPhone and never leave your device unless you export them as CSV. Nothing to hack, nothing to lose in a server outage. ReefDrift Pro: Monthly $3.99 · Yearly $19.99 (save 58%) · Lifetime $59.99 — unlimited tanks, no ads, home screen widget, advanced charts, dosing correlation, and PDF reports. Supports: dKH, meq/L, ppm · SG, ppt · °C, °F Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lid-web-privacy.web.app/reefdrift-privacy-policy-ios.html

Screenshots

Tanksmith4 screens
ReefDrift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Tanksmith at none against ReefDrift's shown. On price, update cadence, 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. Tanksmith sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ReefDrift sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tanksmith ships an update fortnightly, ReefDrift every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Tanksmith versus ReefDrift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTanksmithReefDrift
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOMAR DANIEL GRAZIANOMuge Akalin

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tanksmith

One-time1
  • Tanksmith Pro$9.99
3 purchases

ReefDrift

Subscriptions2
  • ReefDrift Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • ReefDrift Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • ReefDrift Pro Lifetime$59.99

Questions

Is Tanksmith free?
Tanksmith is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReefDrift free?
ReefDrift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tanksmith or ReefDrift have ads?
ReefDrift shows ads; Tanksmith does not.
Which is updated more often, Tanksmith or ReefDrift?
Tanksmith ships an update fortnightly, and ReefDrift every 2 weeks. Most recently, Tanksmith was updated on November 5, 2026 and ReefDrift on October 31, 2026.

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