# SharkSmart vs FeralScan Pest Mapping

The clearest difference is rating: SharkSmart at 4.3 against FeralScan Pest Mapping's 1.0. SharkSmart also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (282 vs 3). FeralScan Pest Mapping's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SharkSmart holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SharkSmart has 282 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of SharkSmart's written reviews are positive against 31% of FeralScan Pest Mapping's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SharkSmart ships an update weekly, FeralScan Pest Mapping every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SharkSmart | FeralScan Pest Mapping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharksmart/id915621811/reviews)** | [1.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feralscan-pest-mapping/id975407187/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **282** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 27.0% of reviews | **30.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/476014891) | [Invasive Animals Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/634197152) |

## What reviewers say

### SharkSmart

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharksmart/id915621811)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📍 Real-time shark detection and tracking
- 🎯 Valuable safety information for ocean users
- 📊 Comprehensive shark tagging data
- 🏖️ Helpful for swimmers and surfers
- 👍 Good app concept and design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 📬 Excessive notifications from distant locations
- ⚙️ Notification settings not persisting
- 🐢 Slow loading times
- 🚫 Unable to add/save favorite beaches

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### FeralScan Pest Mapping

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feralscan-pest-mapping/id975407187)

Record the location and impact of pest animals, along with control actions taken. Your data contributes to a community-driven map to monitor populations and target control efforts effectively.

**Highlights:** Record pest animal locations, Document pest-related problems, Log pest control actions, Contribute to community mapping, Monitor pest populations, Target pest control programs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SharkSmart free?

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

### Is FeralScan Pest Mapping free?

FeralScan Pest Mapping is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SharkSmart or FeralScan Pest Mapping?

SharkSmart is rated higher. SharkSmart averages 4.3 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while FeralScan Pest Mapping averages 1.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do SharkSmart or FeralScan Pest Mapping have ads?

Neither SharkSmart nor FeralScan Pest Mapping shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SharkSmart or FeralScan Pest Mapping?

SharkSmart ships an update weekly, and FeralScan Pest Mapping every 3 months. Most recently, SharkSmart was updated on November 1, 2026 and FeralScan Pest Mapping on November 1, 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.*