Comparison

ReefDrift vs TankVitals

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

Head to head
About

ReefDrift

Features
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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

About

TankVitals

Features
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TankVitals is the clean, no-nonsense way to track your water and keep your fish and corals thriving. Whether you run a planted freshwater tank or a full-blown reef, enter your test results and instantly see every value color-coded by safe range - green when healthy, amber when drifting, red when it needs attention. Know Your Water at a Glance The moment you save a test, each parameter is scored against community-standard safe ranges and color-coded so you know exactly what needs action. No more digging through charts to interpret a number. Log a Test in Seconds A focused entry screen pre-fills the full parameter set for your tank type, with a safe-range bar under every field. Back-date readings, add notes, and your history merges automatically by day. See the Trend Over Time Tap any parameter to open its history as a chart or a full list. Watch alkalinity, calcium, or nitrate move over 30, 90, or all-time days, with the safe range shaded right on the graph. Features • Color-coded dashboard - every reading scored green, amber, or red against its safe range • Full parameter sets - pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, KH, GH, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, salinity, phosphate, and custom values • History charts - line graphs per parameter with safe-range bands and 30/90/all-time views • Dosing calculators - Two-Part, salt mix, and Kalkwasser math for saltwater and reef keepers • Maintenance tracking - water changes and equipment service with overdue reminders • Multiple tanks - manage freshwater, planted, saltwater, reef, and pond setups side by side • Test reminders - on-device notifications tell you when each tank is due, with snooze • Private by design - all data lives on your device, no account and no sign-up • CSV export and backup - take your full history with you anytime No Account. No Ads. Everything runs offline on your device. No email, no login, no analytics, no network calls. Your readings are nobody’s business but yours. Pro Unlock Unlock everything with one single purchase - unlimited tanks, full history and charts, dosing calculators, maintenance tools, back-dating, notes, and CSV export. No subscription, ever. Download TankVitals and give your fish and corals the stable water they deserve. Privacy Policy: https://apps.giguom.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://apps.giguom.com/terms

Screenshots

ReefDrift4 screens
TankVitals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TankVitals at none against ReefDrift's shown. On price, 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

Both are free to download. ReefDrift sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and TankVitals sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
ReefDrift versus TankVitals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReefDriftTankVitals
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuge AkalinNaveen Cs

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ReefDrift

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

TankVitals

One-time1
  • TankVitals Pro$3.99

Questions

Is ReefDrift free?
ReefDrift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TankVitals free?
TankVitals is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ReefDrift or TankVitals have ads?
ReefDrift shows ads; TankVitals does not.

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