Comparison

SharkSmart vs MyICMS

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

Head to head
About

SharkSmart

Stay informed about shark activity in NSW before you swim. Get real-time alerts on tagged shark detections and drone sightings. Understand shark behavior and assess your personal risk for a safer beach experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time shark alerts
  • Drone and tagged shark detections
  • Interactive risk assessment
  • Shark and marine animal identification
  • Beach mitigation gear locations
  • Smartwatch compatibility
Features
Read full description

Enjoy NSW beaches. Be SharkSmart. The NSW Government’s SharkSmart app helps you stay informed before you hit the water in NSW. The app is part of the NSW Government’s Shark Management Program implemented by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). Check the latest shark alerts, Surf Life Saving NSW drone patrol observations, and tagged shark detections to better understand shark activity along the NSW coast. With greater awareness and knowledge of sharks and their behaviour, everyone can enjoy NSW beaches while reducing the risk of a shark encounter. The SharkSmart app provides real-time alerts, beach conditions, species information and helpful resources to keep you informed at NSW beaches. Stay SharkSmart with our App. Alerts & Notifications Receive alerts for tagged shark detections, shark sightings, Surf Life Saving NSW and Surfing NSW drone patrol observations, beach closures and other safety incidents. Customise notifications for alerts around you, by region, by time, or for your favourite beaches. New beach arrival notifications remind you when you are near the coast, with a quick link to today’s conditions and safety information. Daily Updates give you a snapshot of shark activity and alerts across NSW, or focused on beaches around you and your favourited beaches. Beach Status Check conditions before you go with beach status and at-a-glance information for beaches near you or in your favourites. See weather, water quality, patrol information, safety advice, and other local conditions to help you plan your visit. My Beaches Save your favourite NSW beaches and get updates and alerts for the places you visit most. Manage your list, view beach details, daily conditions and recent shark alerts for each location. Tagged Sharks When a tagged shark is detected, tap through for richer detail than ever before, including when and where it was tagged, species information, recent detections, and the path the indicative shark has taken along the NSW coast. Data may include contributions from DPIRD and research partners. Ask SharkSmart Have a question about sharks, beach safety or the latest conditions at a particular beach? Ask SharkSmart is your AI assistant for SharkSmart-related questions. Get clear, helpful answers in a conversation-style experience, with links to relevant alerts, beaches and species where available. Species There are over 180 species of sharks in Australia, and the majority are relatively harmless. In terms of shark-human interactions, the three species responsible for almost all serious and fatal interactions are the white, bull, and tiger sharks, collectively referred to in NSW as the ‘target’ species of our Shark Management Program. Browse images and information on these target sharks, as well as non-target sharks and other marine animals that sting or bite, for education and identification. Apple Watch Compatible If you have an Apple Watch, the SharkSmart app includes a companion watch app that lets you receive SharkSmart alerts on your wrist. View alerts around you or set up notifications for a region, by time or for favourite beaches. For more information visit: sharksmart.nsw.gov.au

About

MyICMS

Features
Read full description

MyICMS connects you with the systems, people, information and updates you’ll need to succeed at ICMS. See important announcements, conversations, events and resources in one place Create and join groups to discuss and collaborate with peers. Find and connect with students who share similar interests, hobbies, backgrounds and more Receive updates when grades are published, assessments are due and announcements are posted. See all your events in one place and receive reminders before they start. Gain one-click access to the systems and apps you use at ICMS.

Screenshots

SharkSmart4 screens
MyICMS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SharkSmart at weekly against MyICMS's every 4 months. MyICMS's advantage is iOS requirement (14.2 vs 18.6). On price, ads, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SharkSmart ships an update weekly, MyICMS every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SharkSmart versus MyICMS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSharkSmartMyICMS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (282 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings282 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.614.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB9 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperNSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentUCROO

Bugs and requests

SharkSmart

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes on startup or when opening alerts
  • Favorite beaches not saving or reverting to all beaches
  • Search function not listing available beaches
  • Map hanging when opening away from beaches
  • Notifications not respecting location radius settings
Show 5 more
  • Inconsistent data between map view and list view
  • Add beach feature not working on iOS
  • Settings menu freezing with spinning wheel
  • Notifications continuing after app deletion
  • Gallery tab crashing on iPhone 12

Requested features

11 requests
  • Ability to name individual tracked sharks
  • Shark size and weight information at tagging
  • Historical shark movement patterns and migration data
  • Deep links from notifications to specific beaches
  • Time-series reporting for shark activity
Show 6 more
  • Apple Watch app improvements and alerts
  • Expand coverage to rivers and harbors
  • Better filtering by event type instead of notification source
  • Expand geographic coverage beyond NSW
  • More receiver stations in underserved areas
  • Clearer messaging about beaches without receivers

MyICMS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SharkSmart

No in-app purchases

None

MyICMS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SharkSmart free?
SharkSmart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MyICMS free?
MyICMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SharkSmart or MyICMS have ads?
Neither SharkSmart nor MyICMS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SharkSmart or MyICMS?
SharkSmart ships an update weekly, and MyICMS every 4 months. Most recently, SharkSmart was updated on October 29, 2026 and MyICMS on October 29, 2026.

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