---
title: "great white shark vs saltwater crocodile — size, speed and bit"
description: "great white shark and saltwater crocodile compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle a"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/great-white-shark-vs-saltwater-crocodile/
site: "At One Place"
---

# great white shark vs saltwater crocodile

**great white shark vs saltwater crocodile: great white shark leads on 3 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest predatory fish, and the species responsible for most unprovoked shark bites on humans. The largest living reptile and the animal with the hardest bite ever measured. On the measurements below, great white shark leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | great white shark | saltwater crocodile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 520–2,000 kg | 76–1,300 kg |
| Length | 3.4–6.1 m | 2.5–6.3 m |
| Top speed | 25–40 km/h | 29 km/h |
| Bite force | 4,000 psi | 3,700 psi |
| Lifespan | 50–73 yr | 65–100 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: great white shark is 2.0× heavier.
- Length: near enough identical.
- Top speed: great white shark is 1.4× faster.
- Bite force: great white shark is 1.1× a stronger bite.
- Lifespan: near enough identical.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a great white shark bigger than a saltwater crocodile?

great white shark is heavier — 520–2,000 kg against 76–1,300 kg.

### Who would win, a great white shark or a saltwater crocodile?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a great white shark weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/great-white-shark/)
- [How much does a saltwater crocodile weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/saltwater-crocodile/)
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## Sources

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)