Comparisons
The best dive log apps in 2026
Yes, we make one of these, so read with that in mind — but every tool below is genuinely good for somebody, and we'll tell you who. The best dive log is the one you'll still be filling in five years from now.
Updated September 3, 2026
Paper logbooks
The original, and still the only format an instructor can stamp and sign over a beer. Paper is ritual, and ritual keeps some divers logging. It's also unsearchable, unbacked-up, and one bilge-water incident away from gone. Most divers who stay with paper eventually keep a digital copy too — if that's you, our guide to what belongs in a logbook covers digitizing an old one.
Best for: divers collecting signatures and stamps, and anyone for whom the physical book is the point.
Subsurface
Free, open-source desktop software and the technical diver's reference tool: direct downloads from hundreds of dive computers, multi-tank and CCR support, deco analysis, local files in an open format. The cost is friction — it's desktop-first with a real learning curve, and logbooks maintained in it tend to belong to people who enjoy maintaining them. Full comparison: Subsurface vs. Scuba Diving Logbook.
Best for: technical divers who want raw computer data, analysis, and local ownership.
Below
The most polished native dive log on iOS: lovely interface, Apple Watch support, solid offline behavior. Its boundary is its platform — no Android, no web, no desktop, so your logbook lives exactly where your iPhone does. Full comparison: Below vs. Scuba Diving Logbook.
Best for: iPhone-only divers who want a native app and Watch integration.
The PADI app
PADI's app bundles digital certification cards, course materials, and a dive log in one place, and if you're mid-certification it's probably already on your phone. As a logbook it's serviceable rather than fast, the log lives inside PADI's ecosystem, and getting your dives out again is not its strong suit.
Best for: PADI students and divers who mainly want their cert cards and courses, with a log alongside.
Diving Log 6.0
A veteran Windows program with two decades of development: strong dive computer support, deeply customizable, with companion mobile apps and lots of statistics. It's paid Windows software with a correspondingly dense interface — closer to Subsurface's side of the spectrum than to a quick mobile log.
Best for: Windows users who want a feature-complete desktop logbook and don't mind the setup.
Scuba Diving Logbook (ours)
Scuba Diving Logbook is an online scuba diving logbook built around one conviction: logging a dive should take thirty seconds, on whatever device is in your hand. Two required fields, every other field toggleable; units that work like a dive computer; dives shareable as public links; and your data is yours — unlimited cloud-stored dives and a full JSON backup on the free plan, with photos, dive profiles, and formatted exports on the $20/year paid plan. Imports from Subsurface, UDDF, CSV, Excel, and DAN DL7 are free, so an existing logbook comes with you.
Best for: divers who want a fast, everywhere logbook and ownership of their own data. Where we're honestly weaker: no direct cable download from dive computers (import a file instead), and no deco planning.
All six at a glance
| Logbook | Platforms | Price | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | Anywhere dry | ~$10–30 a book | Signatures and stamps; no battery | No backup, no search, fills up |
| Subsurface | Desktop (Win/macOS/Linux) | Free | Computer downloads, deco analysis, open data | Steep learning curve, desktop-first |
| Below | iOS only | Free + subscription | Beautiful native app, Watch support | No Android, web, or desktop |
| PADI app | iOS, Android | Free | Cert cards and courses in one place | Log is secondary; data hard to move |
| Diving Log 6.0 | Windows + mobile apps | Paid | Deep features, strong computer support | Windows-centric, dense, paid up front |
| Scuba Diving Logbook | Any browser, any device | Free; extras $20/yr | 30-second logging, share links, free JSON export | No cable downloads or deco planning |
The short version
Technical diver with a cable habit: Subsurface. iPhone purist: Below. Mid-certification: the PADI app is already in your pocket. Windows power user: Diving Log. Everyone who mainly wants their dives logged quickly, kept forever, and reachable from any device: that's exactly who we built Scuba Diving Logbook for — and the form is right on the homepage if you'd rather judge it in thirty seconds than read another word.