# Raptor ID vs ABA/AOU Bird Codes

The clearest difference is price: Raptor ID at Free against ABA/AOU Bird Codes's $0.99. Raptor ID also leads on ratings volume (50 vs 1). ABA/AOU Bird Codes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Raptor ID is free to download; ABA/AOU Bird Codes costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ABA/AOU Bird Codes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Raptor ID has 50 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Raptor ID's written reviews are positive against 100% of ABA/AOU Bird Codes's.

Raptor ID ships an update every 5 months, ABA/AOU Bird Codes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Raptor ID | ABA/AOU Bird Codes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raptor-id/id1033944000/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abaaou-bird-codes/id1523235152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Size | 766 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HawkWatch International](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033943999) | [Schechter Natural History LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1489836176) |

## What reviewers say

### Raptor ID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raptor-id/id1033944000)

This app provides expert-level identification for North America's diurnal raptors. It features nearly 1000 annotated photos and videos to help users identify birds in flight, catering to both beginners and experienced birdwatchers.

**Highlights:** 1000+ annotated photos, Identification videos in flight, Range maps with eBird links, Species vocalizations, Expert Q&A forum

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ABA/AOU Bird Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abaaou-bird-codes/id1523235152)

This app provides a quick reference for ornithological bird codes, used in data collection and field notes. It allows users to search and sort by common name, scientific name, or code, and toggle between ABA and AOU bird lists. Includes USGS species numbers and banding sizes.

**Highlights:** Quick bird code lookup, Sort by common/scientific name or code, Toggle ABA/AOU bird lists, USGS Species Numbers, Banding Sizes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Raptor ID free?

Raptor ID is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ABA/AOU Bird Codes free?

ABA/AOU Bird Codes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Raptor ID or ABA/AOU Bird Codes?

ABA/AOU Bird Codes is rated higher. Raptor ID averages 4.5 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while ABA/AOU Bird Codes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Raptor ID or ABA/AOU Bird Codes have ads?

Raptor ID shows ads; ABA/AOU Bird Codes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Raptor ID or ABA/AOU Bird Codes?

Raptor ID ships an update every 5 months, and ABA/AOU Bird Codes every 3 months. Most recently, Raptor ID was updated on October 21, 2026 and ABA/AOU Bird Codes on October 24, 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.*