Comparisons
Subsurface vs. Scuba Diving Logbook
Subsurface is the open-source heavyweight of dive logging, and if it fits how you dive, keep it — it's excellent. This page is for divers deciding between the two, or moving a Subsurface logbook to the web.
Updated September 3, 2026
What Subsurface does well
Subsurface is free, open-source desktop software started by Linus Torvalds, and it shows: it downloads directly from a huge range of dive computers, handles multi-tank and CCR profiles, runs deco analysis, and stores everything locally in an open format. For technical divers who want their raw computer data on their own disk, it's the reference tool, and nothing web-based fully replaces it.
The trade-offs are the flip side of the power: it's desktop-first (the companion mobile app is primarily for syncing and field notes), the interface takes real time to learn, and your logbook lives on one machine unless you set up its cloud sync. Logging a dive means being at a computer and navigating a dense editor — which is why so many Subsurface logbooks trail off after the initial import.
Where Scuba Diving Logbook differs
Scuba Diving Logbook is an online scuba diving logbook: it runs in the browser on every device you own, and it's built for speed of entry rather than depth of analysis. Two required fields, everything else optional and toggleable, so logging a dive from the boat takes about thirty seconds. Dives are stored in the cloud, shareable as public pages, and always exportable — a full JSON backup on the free plan, plus CSV, XLSX, UDDF, and PDF formats on the paid one.
Side by side
| Subsurface | Scuba Diving Logbook | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Free plan (unlimited dives); paid extras $20/year |
| Runs on | Windows, macOS, Linux desktop; companion mobile app | Any device with a browser — phone, tablet, desktop |
| Learning curve | Steep; a power tool | Log your first dive in under a minute, no account |
| Dive computer download | Excellent, direct from hundreds of models | Via file import (UDDF and similar), not direct cable |
| Deco/CCR analysis | Yes, deep | No — profiles are recorded and drawn, not simulated |
| Where your data lives | Local files (optional Subsurface cloud) | Cloud-stored, full JSON export anytime, free |
| Sharing a dive | Export or screenshots | One link to a public page a buddy can copy from |
Which should you pick?
Pick Subsurface if you're a technical diver who wants direct computer downloads, deco analysis, and local files — and you'll actually sit down at the desktop to maintain it. Pick Scuba Diving Logbook if you want the logbook that's always in your pocket, takes seconds per dive, and keeps your history in the cloud without a sync setup. Plenty of divers run both: Subsurface as the raw-data archive, this as the living logbook.
Moving your Subsurface logbook here
Import is free and takes one click: export your logbook from Subsurface (or just use its native .ssrf file) and drop it on the import page. Sites, depths, profiles, buddies, ratings, and notes carry over, and nothing is saved until you've reviewed the preview. The Subsurface import guide walks through it step by step.