# The Waterbug App vs UNE Safe

The clearest difference is update cadence: The Waterbug App at every 9 months against UNE Safe's every 29 months. UNE Safe's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

The Waterbug App ships an update every 9 months, UNE Safe every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Waterbug App | UNE Safe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Sharman](https://appshunter.io/developer/926215556) | [University of New England](https://appshunter.io/developer/924368405) |

## What reviewers say

### The Waterbug App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-waterbug-app/id926215557)

Identify freshwater invertebrates found in Australian waterways. Assess the health of rivers, creeks, and wetlands by observing these creatures. Contribute your findings to a national citizen science program.

**Highlights:** Waterbug identification, River health assessment, Citizen science contribution, Data submission, Australian freshwater invertebrates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### UNE Safe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/une-safe/id1299741724)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Waterbug App free?

The Waterbug App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is UNE Safe free?

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

### Do The Waterbug App or UNE Safe have ads?

Neither The Waterbug App nor UNE Safe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Waterbug App or UNE Safe?

The Waterbug App ships an update every 9 months, and UNE Safe every 29 months. Most recently, The Waterbug App was updated on November 1, 2026 and UNE Safe on October 26, 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.*