Updated 25 September 2026
The best deco planner apps for scuba divers in 2026
Ten decompression planners, compared on what they model, whether they plan rebreather dives, what they cost, and when they last shipped. We build Dive Kit, so it is on the list and ranked where we think it belongs, with the cases where another app wins written down.
Prices, platforms and versions were read from each vendor's store listing or website on 25 September 2026. Tell us what changed: hello@divekit.app.
The short version
- Planning OC and CCR dives on a phone
- Dive Kit. Bühlmann with gradient factors, contingencies computed in one pass, bailout placed anywhere in a CCR dive, plans shared by link or QR, and a published cross-check against MultiDeco.
- VPM-B, or planning on a desktop
- MultiDeco. The reference planner for two decades, on every platform, with VPM-B and Bühlmann side by side. Priced per platform.
- Free and open source
- Subsurface. A full OC, CCR and pSCR planner inside the open-source logbook on desktop, and an open-circuit planner on mobile since September 2025.
- A few dollars and readable code
- Abysner. Open-source Bühlmann planner with CCR, $2.99 on the stores or free to build. Simpler by design.
- GUE training
- GUE DecoPlanner 4. Required in GUE classes and tiered by certification level. Buy it because your instructor asked for it.
Every planner at a glance
| App | Platforms | Price | Algorithm | CCR | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dive Kit | iOS, Android | Planner $4.99/month (first month free) or $24.99 once; 11 companion tools free | Bühlmann ZH-L16C + gradient factors (default 50/80) | Yes: setpoint schedule, dilout switches, bailout from any point, ICD check | 2.11.0, September 2026 |
| MultiDeco | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | $48.99 iOS; $49 Android; $90 desktop (one-time, per platform group) | VPM-B, VPM-B/E, ZH-L16B and ZH-L16C + gradient factors | Yes: OC, SCR, CCR, RB80 and KISS modes with OC and SCR bailout legs | iOS 1.111, July 2026; desktop 4.26 |
| Subsurface | Windows, macOS, Linux; Subsurface-mobile on iOS and Android | Free, open source | Bühlmann ZH-L16C + gradient factors (default 30/75), or VPM-B | Desktop: OC, CCR and pSCR with bailout. Mobile: open-circuit planner only | 6.0.5707, September 2026 (desktop and mobile) |
| Abysner | iOS, Android | $2.99 on the App Store; free to build from source | Bühlmann ZH-L16 A, B or C + gradient factors | Yes: setpoints and bailout since version 2.0 | 2.1.1, May 2026 |
| Decosoft | iOS, Android | $3.99/month subscription, 14-day trial; one-off tiers on iOS | Bühlmann ZH-L16C + gradient factors | Yes: CCR bailout strategy and lost-gas preview | 6.9.4, September 2026 |
| Deep Tools | iOS, Android | Free download; $2.99/month, $17.99/year or $39.99 lifetime | Bühlmann ZH-L16B or ZH-L16C + gradient factors | Yes: OC and CCR with lost-gas and bailout planning | 4.71, August 2026 |
| DIVESOFT.APP | iOS, Android | Free | Bühlmann ZH-L16B or ZH-L16C + gradient factors (manual recommends 40/75) | Yes: descent, bottom and deco setpoints, bailout plan with its own GF pair | 2.7.2, September 2026 |
| GUE DecoPlanner 4 | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android (one licence covers all four) | $70 to $120 depending on tier; 15-day trial; GUE students half price | Bühlmann ZH-L16 + gradient factors, and VPM-B side by side | Yes from the Tech 1 tier: CCR and pSCR | Mobile 1.4.2, December 2024 |
| Baltic Deco Planner | iPhone only (runs on iPad and Apple Silicon Macs in compatibility mode) | $18.99; Lite edition free (nitrox to 40%, no trimix or CCR) | Bühlmann ZH-L16B + gradient factors, VPM-B, VPM-B/GFS | Yes: setpoints per level, OC deco from CCR, bailout from any point | 1.0.2, June 2021 |
| V-Planner | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | $48.99 iOS; desktop and Android under the same HHS licence scheme as MultiDeco | VPM, VPM-B, VPM-B/E only | Yes: CCR with OC and SCR bailout legs | iOS 2.111, July 2026 |
1 of 10
Dive Kit
Our pick for planning OC and CCR dives on a phone. Disclosure: we build it.
Dive Kit is a native iOS and Android planner built around Bühlmann ZH-L16C with gradient factors, for open circuit and CCR. It computes the contingencies (lost gas, deeper, longer, custom failure scenarios) in one pass, lets you place a rebreather bailout anywhere in the dive, plans oxygen breaks, and shares a plan as a link or QR code that opens in a buddy's app or in a browser. The engine is closed source, so we publish the same 33 dives run through Dive Kit and MultiDeco with a note on every difference.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Price
- Planner $4.99/month (first month free) or $24.99 once; 11 companion tools free
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16C + gradient factors (default 50/80)
- CCR
- Yes: setpoint schedule, dilout switches, bailout from any point, ICD check
- Last update
- 2.11.0, September 2026
- Vendor
- Ronny Majani
Choose it if
- You plan on a phone and want the schedule, the what-ifs and the gas per cylinder on one screen.
- You dive CCR and want setpoint schedules and bailout scenarios without a desktop.
- You want to send a plan to a buddy who may not own the app.
Skip it if
- You need VPM-B. Dive Kit is Bühlmann only.
- You plan on a desktop. There is no desktop edition and no web planner.
- You will only ever pay for open code. Read the published cross-reference first, then decide.
2 of 10
MultiDeco
The reference planner. Runs everywhere, does VPM-B, costs the most.
MultiDeco has been the planner technical divers compare everything else against since the V-Planner days, and it is still maintained. It runs both bubble and dissolved-gas models, handles every rebreather mode, and produces the numeric report most instructors learned on. The interface is a desktop application ported to phones, and each platform group is a separate purchase.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Price
- $48.99 iOS; $49 Android; $90 desktop (one-time, per platform group)
- Algorithm
- VPM-B, VPM-B/E, ZH-L16B and ZH-L16C + gradient factors
- CCR
- Yes: OC, SCR, CCR, RB80 and KISS modes with OC and SCR bailout legs
- Last update
- iOS 1.111, July 2026; desktop 4.26
- Vendor
- HHS Software
Choose it if
- You want VPM-B, or want to run VPM-B and Bühlmann side by side.
- You plan on a laptop and want lost-gas plans, multi-dive sequences and data export.
- Your team already standardises on it.
Skip it if
- You mostly plan on a phone; the mobile edition is a port, not a touch-first design.
- You want to pay once for phone and desktop.
- You want to share a plan to another device rather than read it off a screen.
3 of 10
Subsurface
Best free planner, and the only one that lives inside your logbook.
Subsurface is the open-source logbook most divers know, and its desktop planner is a complete Bühlmann and VPM-B tool with CCR and pSCR modes, minimum-gas checks and oxygen-break scheduling. The mobile app added an open-circuit planner in September 2025; it is young, and the mobile manual still says otherwise. Every plan prints a disclaimer that the implementation has received limited testing, which is honest rather than alarming, and the developers describe the planner as experimental.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux; Subsurface-mobile on iOS and Android
- Price
- Free, open source
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16C + gradient factors (default 30/75), or VPM-B
- CCR
- Desktop: OC, CCR and pSCR with bailout. Mobile: open-circuit planner only
- Last update
- 6.0.5707, September 2026 (desktop and mobile)
- Vendor
- Subsurface project (GPL)
Choose it if
- You already log in Subsurface and want plans and dives in one file.
- You want free, open code you can read, on a desktop.
- You want VPM-B without paying for MultiDeco.
Skip it if
- You plan CCR dives on a phone; the mobile planner is OC only.
- You want contingency plans rather than deeper-and-longer deltas.
- You want to share a plan as anything other than printed text.
4 of 10
Abysner
The open-source phone planner. Simple on purpose, and cheap.
Abysner puts cylinders, profile and deco plan on one scrolling screen and keeps the feature list short. It plans OC and CCR, shows gas density and ppO₂ per gas, produces deeper-and-longer contingencies and a clean plan image, and you can read the Kotlin engine on GitHub. It labels itself beta and is English only.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Price
- $2.99 on the App Store; free to build from source
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16 A, B or C + gradient factors
- CCR
- Yes: setpoints and bailout since version 2.0
- Last update
- 2.1.1, May 2026
Choose it if
- You want an open-source planner in your pocket for the price of a coffee.
- You value a small, readable engine over a long feature list.
Skip it if
- You want depth-keyed setpoint schedules, custom failure scenarios or plan links.
- You need a language other than English.
5 of 10
Decosoft
Actively developed subscription planner aimed at instructors and schools.
Decosoft is a Czech planner that ships updates almost monthly and bundles gas tools (best mix, blending, SAC, MOD, END) with the planner. It plans OC and CCR with bailout strategies and gas-loss scenarios, supports repetitive dives and altitude, and advertises plan sharing with students. The pricing is subscription first.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Price
- $3.99/month subscription, 14-day trial; one-off tiers on iOS
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16C + gradient factors
- CCR
- Yes: CCR bailout strategy and lost-gas preview
- Last update
- 6.9.4, September 2026
- Vendor
- Decosoft s.r.o.
Choose it if
- You teach and want to share plans with a class.
- You prefer a subscription with frequent releases over a one-time purchase.
Skip it if
- You want to pay once; the one-off tiers are iOS only and cost more than most rivals.
- You want a published cross-check of its numbers; none is offered.
6 of 10
Deep Tools
Planner plus logbook with Shearwater import, and the best-rated app on this list.
Deep Tools combines a Bühlmann planner with a dive log that imports from Shearwater computers, and adds the usual calculators (MOD, END, EAD, NDL, blending, lift bag). It plans OC and CCR with bailout and lost-gas scenarios across multiple waypoints. Reviewers like it: 4.6 stars from 93 ratings on the US App Store.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Price
- Free download; $2.99/month, $17.99/year or $39.99 lifetime
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16B or ZH-L16C + gradient factors
- CCR
- Yes: OC and CCR with lost-gas and bailout planning
- Last update
- 4.71, August 2026
- Vendor
- Deep Blue d.o.o.
Choose it if
- You want planner and logbook in one app and dive a Shearwater.
- You want a monthly option and a lifetime option.
Skip it if
- You want VPM-B.
- You want to know exactly how its schedule compares to MultiDeco; no cross-check is published.
7 of 10
DIVESOFT.APP
Free and capable, built for Divesoft Liberty owners.
Divesoft's app is a companion for its Liberty rebreather and Freedom computers, and the planner inside it is a real one: three setpoints, unlimited gases and levels, a bailout plan with a stressed breathing rate and problem-solving time, and PDF export. It costs nothing. The rest of the app (checklists, firmware, analyzer readouts) assumes you own the hardware.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Price
- Free
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16B or ZH-L16C + gradient factors (manual recommends 40/75)
- CCR
- Yes: descent, bottom and deco setpoints, bailout plan with its own GF pair
- Last update
- 2.7.2, September 2026
- Vendor
- Divesoft
Choose it if
- You dive a Liberty and want the planner that matches the unit.
- You want a free CCR planner and can live with a hardware-centric app around it.
Skip it if
- You do not own Divesoft equipment and want a planner-first interface.
- You want plan sharing beyond PDF.
8 of 10
GUE DecoPlanner 4
The GUE standard, tiered by certification, and quiet lately.
DecoPlanner is what GUE classes plan with, and its licence tiers mirror the training ladder: recreational nitrox at the bottom, unlimited CCR at the top. It runs Bühlmann and VPM-B with comparison graphs, includes partial-pressure and continuous blending, and keeps a logbook for repetitive planning. The mobile apps last shipped in December 2024.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, iOS, Android (one licence covers all four)
- Price
- $70 to $120 depending on tier; 15-day trial; GUE students half price
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16 + gradient factors, and VPM-B side by side
- CCR
- Yes from the Tech 1 tier: CCR and pSCR
- Last update
- Mobile 1.4.2, December 2024
Choose it if
- You train with GUE and your instructor expects DecoPlanner output.
- You want VPM-B and Bühlmann graphed against each other.
Skip it if
- You are not in the GUE system; the tier caps on depth and gases will annoy you.
- You want an app that ships updates.
9 of 10
Baltic Deco Planner
The nicest iPhone planner of its generation, unmaintained since 2021.
Baltic was for years the iPhone answer to MultiDeco: a native interface, both model families, CCR with setpoints, one-tap lost-gas and bailout contingencies, and a running gradient factor printed beside every stop, which no other app on this list does. Its last release was a dark-mode fix in June 2021, the vendor's documentation site is offline, and printing has been reported broken on recent iOS versions since January 2024. It still runs, and 49 US ratings average 4.7.
- Platforms
- iPhone only (runs on iPad and Apple Silicon Macs in compatibility mode)
- Price
- $18.99; Lite edition free (nitrox to 40%, no trimix or CCR)
- Algorithm
- Bühlmann ZH-L16B + gradient factors, VPM-B, VPM-B/GFS
- CCR
- Yes: setpoints per level, OC deco from CCR, bailout from any point
- Last update
- 1.0.2, June 2021
- Vendor
- Eskil Olsen
Choose it if
- You already own it and it does what you need.
- You want to see the running GF at each stop and accept the risk of an unmaintained app.
Skip it if
- You are buying a planner today; a five-year gap in releases is a red flag on a safety tool.
- You dive Android, or want ZH-L16C to match a Shearwater.
10 of 10
V-Planner
MultiDeco's VPM-only sibling. Buy MultiDeco instead unless you know why not.
V-Planner is the original VPM-B planner and is still updated in step with MultiDeco. It has no Bühlmann model at all, which is the whole point for its users and a dealbreaker for everyone else. MultiDeco includes everything V-Planner does plus Bühlmann, at similar prices.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Price
- $48.99 iOS; desktop and Android under the same HHS licence scheme as MultiDeco
- Algorithm
- VPM, VPM-B, VPM-B/E only
- CCR
- Yes: CCR with OC and SCR bailout legs
- Last update
- iOS 2.111, July 2026
- Vendor
- HHS Software
Choose it if
- You plan exclusively on VPM-B and want the lightest version of the HHS tools.
Skip it if
- You want gradient factors, or want to compare models. Get MultiDeco.
Apps we left off, and why
- iDeco Pro. Bühlmann with CCR on iOS for $8.99, last updated October 2015.
- Diveplanner Tec & Rec. iOS release in September 2025, but the Android app has not shipped since February 2023.
- TechDeco. Free Android-only Bühlmann planner, open circuit only, no CCR.
- Easy Deco. Does not state which algorithm it runs; iOS last updated September 2024.
- Shearwater Cloud. A log and firmware tool, not a planner. Use the planner on the computer itself.
- DiveCalc. Calculators and NDL tables, no decompression schedules.
How we compared them
- Still maintained
- A planner is a safety tool. We list the newest store release for each app and say so when the last one is years old.
- What it actually models
- Bühlmann ZH-L16B or C, gradient factors, VPM-B. Most apps run the same model; the differences are in what happens around the schedule.
- Rebreather planning
- Setpoints, diluent handling and where a bailout can start. Half the apps say CCR; fewer plan a bailout from the middle of a deco stop.
- What you can do with the plan
- Contingencies, gas per cylinder, and whether a buddy can open the plan on their own device.
- Price, honestly stated
- One-time versus subscription, and whether desktop and mobile are separate purchases.
Where Dive Kit and MultiDeco disagree, the numbers and the reasons are published in the cross-reference. Head-to-head pages: MultiDeco vs Dive Kit and Abysner vs Dive Kit.
