Comparison

GLOBE Observer vs iNaturalist

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GLOBE Observer

Contribute to real scientific research by making environmental observations. Document clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees using your mobile device. Your data supports scientists worldwide, including NASA and NOAA.

Highlights
  • Make environmental observations
  • Document clouds
  • Map mosquito habitats
  • Record land cover
  • Measure tree height
  • Contribute to scientific research
Features
Read full description

The GLOBE Observer app enables you to make observations of your environment. GLOBE Observer is the app of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program. The GLOBE Program is an international science and education program that provides students and people of all ages worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. By using the GLOBE Observer app, you contribute scientific data to your community, students and scientists worldwide, including researchers at NASA, NOAA, and other science research institutions. GLOBE Observer allows all users to contribute observations of clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees. Trained and certified users can also use the app to submit additional environmental measurements from all GLOBE protocols. GLOBE Clouds allows observers to make regular observations of Earth’s cloud cover and compare them to satellite observations. With GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper, users locate mosquito habitats, observe and identify mosquito larvae, and reduce the potential threat of mosquito borne disease. GLOBE Land Cover is designed to allow users to document what is on the land (trees, grass, buildings, etc.). GLOBE Trees asks users to estimate a tree’s height by taking pictures of trees with their device and answering a few questions. Additional capabilities may be added. Visit us at https://www.globe.gov and https://observer.globe.gov.

About

iNaturalist

Identify plants, animals, and fungi using your camera or imported photos. Get AI-powered species suggestions and connect with a global community of nature enthusiasts to learn more about the natural world and contribute to scientific conservation efforts.

Highlights
  • AI species identification
  • Record species observations
  • Contribute to scientific data
  • Explore biodiversity
  • Connect with nature enthusiasts
Currently charting
Read full description

Your photos of plants, animals, fungi, and more can help protect nature all around the world. iNaturalist is free, nonprofit, and community-powered. iNaturalist helps millions of people learn about and document the nature around them. Point your camera at plants, animals, and fungi to get instant identification suggestions, then share your photos or sound recordings as an "observation." Then, see your observation get reviewed by a global community of knowledgeable nature-lovers to turn it into a useful data point for science and conservation efforts. Your everyday moments of curiosity can directly contribute to protecting nature, and you don't need any previous experience or knowledge to get started. iNaturalist is a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to nature and advancing biodiversity science and conservation, and is freely available thanks to the generous support of our community. KEY FEATURES • Identify species from anywhere in the world • Contribute to science by sharing your observations • Keep a record of species you see • Explore and protect biodiversity • Connect with and learn from other nature enthusiasts

Screenshots

GLOBE Observer4 screens
iNaturalist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: iNaturalist at 4.1 against GLOBE Observer's 3.1. iNaturalist also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (49% vs 34%). GLOBE Observer's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iNaturalist holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist has 684 ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of GLOBE Observer's written reviews are positive against 49% of iNaturalist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GLOBE Observer ships an update every 2 months, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
GLOBE Observer versus iNaturalist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGLOBE ObserveriNaturalist
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (86 ratings)4.1 (684 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.9% of reviews48.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings86684 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#60 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB220 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNASAiNaturalist

Customer experience

GLOBE Observer

All ratings86 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative43.0%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive33.9%
Neutral18.6%
Negative47.5%

iNaturalist

All ratings684 ratings
Positive72.2%
Neutral8.9%
Negative18.9%
Written reviews446 reviews
Positive48.7%
Neutral15.2%
Negative36.1%

User reviews

GLOBE Observer

From 86 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for citizen science
  • 💡 Educational and informative
  • 👍 Easy to use (for some)
  • 👍 Meaningful environmental measurements
  • 👍 Fun and engaging

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Login/update issues
  • 🐛 Account creation problems
  • 🐛 Observations not submitting
  • 🐛 Poor UI/UX design

iNaturalist

From 684 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Faster and more intuitive UI
  • 👍 Improved features from website
  • 💡 Batch upload and sorting options
  • 🚀 Responsive and smooth performance
  • 👍 Easier to navigate and use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs with observation time and location
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding advanced editing options
  • 🔍 Overly complex UI for basic tasks
  • 🔍 Removal of useful features like map view
  • 🔍 Too much reliance on AI identification

Bugs and requests

GLOBE Observer

Reported bugs

39 issues
  • Checking for updates loop
  • 504 error on account creation
  • Fails after step 5 in account creation
  • Robot verification loop
  • App crashes on opening
Show 34 more
  • Observations not submitting (error exclamation mark)
  • Interminable in-app required update
  • Errors in data entry, observations not sending/deleting
  • Invalid password errors
  • Cloud observation chart images disappear
  • No reply from support
  • App doesn't open on iPhone
  • Won't update
  • Logged out, wrong password, account locked
  • Data lost after system crash
  • Cloud ID chart not loading properly
  • Observations keep loading forever
  • iPhone stuck on installing updates
  • App crashes and never fully loads
  • Can't get photos to upload
  • User interface poorly designed
  • No observations shown when there are
  • No way to export data
  • App is forever 'installing updates'
  • Camera portion of data collection quit working
  • No way to submit a report from 'Pictures'
  • Compass won't calibrate
  • Photo feature locks screen
  • No button to take photo
  • App crashes if location is not set
  • Updates take too long
  • Photo submission portal hopeless
  • Native camera app has no prompts to submit photos
  • 'Done' button does nothing
  • 401 unknown error when sending reports
  • App goes bonkers when attaching photo
  • Screen flickers rapidly when attaching photo
  • Cannot get out of camera within app
  • Whirring wheel for update in progress for hours

Requested features

8 requests
  • Improve UI/UX design
  • Add dark mode
  • Better translation
  • Notifications for satellite flyovers
  • Integrate with WorldView or Google Earth
Show 3 more
  • More explanation/examples for cloud types
  • Export data in spreadsheet/GPS format
  • Allow users to contribute design improvements

iNaturalist

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips
  • Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu
  • Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time
  • Map showing incorrect observation locations
  • Crashes and performance issues on some devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to type in address/coordinates for location
  • Option to add observations to projects during upload
  • Batch editing/uploading of observations
  • More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory)
  • Bring back colored observation markers on map

In-app purchases

None

GLOBE Observer

No in-app purchases

None

iNaturalist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GLOBE Observer free?
GLOBE Observer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iNaturalist free?
iNaturalist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GLOBE Observer or iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is rated higher. GLOBE Observer averages 3.1 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while iNaturalist averages 4.1 from 684 ratings.
Do GLOBE Observer or iNaturalist have ads?
Neither GLOBE Observer nor iNaturalist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GLOBE Observer or iNaturalist?
GLOBE Observer ships an update every 2 months, and iNaturalist fortnightly. Most recently, GLOBE Observer was updated on October 15, 2026 and iNaturalist on October 16, 2026.

Other comparisons