# Dive Diary vs Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dive Diary at none against Buddy's 2. Dive Diary also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 77%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Buddy's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Dive Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 49 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Dive Diary's written reviews are positive against 77% of Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dive Diary ships an update every 2 months, Buddy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dive Diary | Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dive-diary/id732855199/reviews) | **[4.3 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-social-dive-app/id1588860327/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **49** |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 76.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 25 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Goanmook Choi](https://appshunter.io/developer/732855202) | [Dive with Buddy, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588860329) |

## What reviewers say

### Dive Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dive-diary/id732855199)

This app serves as a digital logbook for scuba divers, allowing users to record their dives with a visually appealing, customizable interface. It supports unlimited photo and video attachments, cloud backup, and easy sharing of dive logs.

**Highlights:** Customizable logbook design, Unlimited photo/video attachments, Cloud backup and restore, Cross-device synchronization, Social media sharing, Import Suunto dive computer logs, Export logs to CSV

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-social-dive-app/id1588860327)

This app is a comprehensive companion for divers, offering features to log dives, manage gear, and connect with a community of ocean enthusiasts. It provides tools for both free and premium users to enhance their underwater adventures and discover new diving experiences.

**Highlights:** Dive Log recording and validation, Buddy network and activity feed, Gear management, Offline access to certifications, Buddy Radar for finding dive buddies, Discover feed for underwater content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buddy Radar: Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Buddy Radar: Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🌍 Connects divers globally
- 🗺️ Great for logging dives
- 📸 Ability to add photos/videos
- 🤝 Facilitates meeting new dive buddies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buddy radar not working
- 📉 Low user count in some areas
- 💸 Social features feel like a money grab
- 🤷‍♂️ Missing advanced features
- 🔌 No import/export of data

**Reported bugs**

- Buddy radar not working
- App crashes and becomes unresponsive
- Login issues (email not found)
- Draft dives appearing in public searches
- Deleted drafts still appearing publicly

**Requested features**

- Open to dive status to link people
- Ability to import/export data
- Direct data download from dive computers
- Support for technical diving features (e.g., double tanks, trimix volumes)
- Inclusion of smaller certification organizations (GUE, UTD)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dive Diary free?

Dive Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Buddy free?

Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Dive Diary or Buddy?

Buddy is rated higher. Dive Diary averages 4.0 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Buddy averages 4.3 from 49 ratings.

### Do Dive Diary or Buddy have ads?

Neither Dive Diary nor Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dive Diary or Buddy?

Dive Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Buddy monthly. Most recently, Dive Diary was updated on October 6, 2026 and Buddy on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*