Comparison

AquaSense.fish vs TankDiary

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

Head to head
About

AquaSense.fish

This app helps you maintain healthy aquariums by monitoring water parameters, identifying fish from photos, and providing compatibility information. It offers tools for planning tank setups, tracking livestock, and logging maintenance, with AI-powered guidance for both freshwater and saltwater tanks.

Highlights
  • Water parameter monitoring (pH, ammonia, etc.)
  • Photo-based fish identification
  • Livestock compatibility checker
  • Species library with care requirements
  • Tank build planning tool
  • Maintenance logging and reminders
  • AI-powered care guidance
Features
Read full description

AquaSense is the all-in-one companion for keeping a healthy freshwater or saltwater aquarium. Whether you run a nano reef, a planted community tank, or a big cichlid setup, AquaSense turns guesswork into clear, confident care. YOUR TANK'S HEALTH AT A GLANCE See pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, KH, salinity and more the moment you open the app. Every reading is checked against the ideal range for your water type and livestock, so you instantly know what's fine and what needs attention. IDENTIFY ANY FISH FROM A PHOTO Not sure what you're looking at — at the store or in your own tank? Snap a photo and AquaSense identifies the species, then tells you how to care for it. KNOW WHAT LIVES WELL TOGETHER Before you add a new fish, check it against everything already in your tank. AquaSense flags aggression, size mismatches, and other conflicts so you avoid costly mistakes. TRACK EVERY FISH YOU KEEP Build a livestock list for each tank, with care levels, temperament, and notes. Tap any fish for a full species profile. A DEEP, TRUSTED SPECIES LIBRARY Browse a growing library of freshwater and saltwater species with real care requirements — temperature, parameters, diet, tank size, and compatibility. PLAN BEFORE YOU BUY Sketch out a tank build — water type, size, filtration, and stocking — and see whether it works before you spend a cent. CARE TOOLS BUILT IN Log water changes and maintenance, set reminders, and get AI-powered guidance tailored to your specific tank. AQUASENSE PRO Upgrade to Pro for unlimited photo fish ID, the full AI assistant, and advanced care insights. Subscriptions are billed through your app store account and can be managed or canceled anytime in your account settings. Freshwater or saltwater, beginner or expert — AquaSense helps you keep your fish healthy and your water right. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://aquasense.fish/privacy

About

TankDiary

Easily track aquarium water parameters, schedule maintenance, and monitor your tank's health. This app helps you understand your tank's cycling stage and provides reliable reminders for water changes and other tasks. It offers detailed logging and historical charts for long-term trend analysis.

Highlights
  • Log water test results (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, etc.)
  • Identify aquarium cycle stage
  • Schedule maintenance reminders (water changes, dosing)
  • Water change calculator
  • Livestock and photo journal
  • Offline functionality
  • Interactive historical charts
Features
Read full description

Know when your new tank is safe for fish — TankDiary reads your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tests and names the cycle stage you're in. Log a water test by tapping the color that matches your test tube. No account, no cloud, nothing leaves your phone. TRACK WHAT MATTERS Log temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH, KH, TDS and more in one quick sheet. Color-coded safe ranges tell you at a glance if something's drifting. Interactive charts show trends over weeks or years — with the safe zone drawn right on the graph and touch-to-read values on every point. KNOW WHEN SOMETHING'S WRONG The home screen flags out-of-range parameters and overdue maintenance across all your tanks the moment you open the app — no drilling in required. NEVER MISS A WATER CHANGE Set schedules for water changes, filter cleans, dosing and trimming, with reliable local reminders at the time you choose. The built-in water change calculator tells you how much to pull, how much conditioner to add, and — the part nobody else answers — what the change will actually do to your nitrate, including the floor set by nitrate in your own tap water. YOUR WHOLE TANK, REMEMBERED Livestock list with photos — fish, inverts, plants — searchable by species. A photo journal for milestones, rescapes and diary notes, with full-screen pinch-to-zoom. Everything works offline. SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE Fully translated into German, Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese, with the terms hobbyists actually use. Units follow your region and can be changed anytime. HONEST PRICING Free forever: 1 tank, working reminders, 30 days of history, the full cycle tracker, the color chart and the calculator. TankDiary Pro unlocks unlimited tanks and full history as a one-time purchase — pay once, own it forever. There's a cheap yearly option too, but we think you'll prefer to just own it. No account. No cloud lock-in. No selling your data — there's nothing to sell; it never leaves your device. Made by a hobbyist who got tired of spreadsheet water logs. Privacy Policy: https://tankdiary.com/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

AquaSense.fish4 screens
TankDiary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TankDiary at 5.0 against AquaSense.fish's 4.3. AquaSense.fish's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 11 days). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. TankDiary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. AquaSense.fish asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TankDiary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AquaSense.fish ships an update every 5 days, TankDiary every 11 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AquaSense.fish versus TankDiary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAquaSense.fishTankDiary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB2 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBRYCE SCOTT SMITHTOBY M BERGER

Customer experience

AquaSense.fish

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TankDiary

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

AquaSense.fish

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

TankDiary

Subscriptions1
  • TankDiary Pro — Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • TankDiary Pro — Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is AquaSense.fish free?
AquaSense.fish is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TankDiary free?
TankDiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AquaSense.fish or TankDiary?
TankDiary is rated higher. AquaSense.fish averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while TankDiary averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do AquaSense.fish or TankDiary have ads?
Neither AquaSense.fish nor TankDiary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AquaSense.fish or TankDiary?
AquaSense.fish ships an update every 5 days, and TankDiary every 11 days. Most recently, AquaSense.fish was updated on October 31, 2026 and TankDiary on October 31, 2026.

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