Comparison

TankPilot vs ReefNote

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

Head to head
About

TankPilot

Features
Read full description

Track your aquarium water parameters and maintenance in one log. TankPilot keeps your fish tank and reef records on your iPhone or iPad, ready whenever you need themβ€”even offline. START WITH ONE TANK Create your first aquarium and log water readings without a recording limit. Free users see the most recent 30 days in trend charts and summaries. Your complete Readings list stays available to view, edit, and delete, including readings older than 30 days. SEE THE FULL PICTURE A one-time unlock adds full-history trends, multiple aquariums, new maintenance tasks, and new livestock or equipment entries. Already using TankPilot before 1.3? If you have any water readings when you first open 1.3, you keep full-history trends without purchasing. KEEP WATER READINGS TOGETHER Log temperature, pH, KH, GH, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, salinity, calcium, and magnesium. Compare recorded values with trend charts, averages, sample counts, and daily changes. STAY ON TOP OF CARE Keep water changes, filter cleaning, and other recurring care tasks in one place. Local notifications remind you when a task is due. Existing care tasks and reminders stay available regardless of purchase status. CHECK AT A GLANCE Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show recent water readings and your next care task. Siri and Shortcuts let you log temperature, retrieve a reading, or mark maintenance complete. Widgets, Siri, and Shortcuts remain free. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no ads, no third-party analytics, and no subscription. Your records stay on your device. One purchase unlocks TankPilot on iPhone and iPad. TankPilot provides records, reminders, and parameter trends for reference. It does not provide dosing, animal health, or water treatment advice.

About

ReefNote

Features
Read full description

ReefNote keeps your aquarium on track: log every water parameter, flag anything out of range, and keep dosing and maintenance on schedule. Testing is fast. Pick a parameter, tap the value on a big pad with the right unit (dKH, ppm, SG), and save. Each parameter remembers its last value, so a routine round of tests takes seconds. WHAT YOU GET - Parameter log with target ranges: reef and freshwater presets you can edit per tank, with out-of-range flags the moment you save - Trend charts: every parameter over 30 days, 90 days, or a year, with your target band drawn behind the line and each point coloured by its flag - Dosing and water changes: repeat schedules with clear overdue and due-today states, one tap to mark done - Livestock registry: fish, coral, and inverts with photos, added dates, and notes - Maintenance reminders: a per-task reminder so nothing slips - Tank journal: one timeline that mixes your tests, doses, and events - Tank report: a shareable PDF of parameters versus targets, livestock, and schedule, plus a CSV of every reading (Pro) REEF OR FRESHWATER Set the tank type and ReefNote starts with common target bands for each parameter, then lets you tune every band to the numbers you keep. FREE AND PRO Free includes one tank and 30 tests, with target ranges, trends, the schedule, and the livestock registry. Pro unlocks unlimited tanks, unlimited test history, and the PDF and CSV exports. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything stays on your iPhone. No account, no cloud, no tracking. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ReefNote Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one time lifetime purchase. The current price is shown in the app and on this page before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

TankPilot4 screens
ReefNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ReefNote at every 3 weeks against TankPilot's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. TankPilot sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ReefNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TankPilot ships an update every 2 months, ReefNote every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
TankPilot versus ReefNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTankPilotReefNote
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size3 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFoshan Gaoming Huiyang Network Technology Studio (Individually Owned Business)InnovaLabWorks

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TankPilot

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Version$4.99
3 purchases

ReefNote

Subscriptions2
  • ReefNote Pro$5.991 Month
  • ReefNote Pro$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • ReefNote Lifetime$2.99

Questions

Is TankPilot free?
TankPilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReefNote free?
ReefNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TankPilot or ReefNote have ads?
Neither TankPilot nor ReefNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TankPilot or ReefNote?
TankPilot ships an update every 2 months, and ReefNote every 3 weeks. Most recently, TankPilot was updated on October 31, 2026 and ReefNote on October 31, 2026.

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