Seaweed Sorter vs NRKW ID
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Seaweed Sorter
Identify 130 species of macroalgae from the Pacific Northwest with illustrated, jargon-free questions. Features over 300 photos, taxonomic details, and descriptions. Content is updated frequently and available offline.
- Identify 130 macroalgae species
- Illustrated, jargon-free questions
- Over 300 photos
- Taxonomic and ecological details
- Offline content access
- Frequent content updates
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Seaweed Sorter helps users identify 130 species of macroalgae commonly found along the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, including many species that extend from Alaska down to Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Unlike printed dichotomous keys, which use jargon and often require specialized knowledge, Seaweed Sorter uses easy-to-understand, illustrated questions that assume no prior knowledge and allows users to skip questions at any time. Seaweed Sorter includes more than 300 photos, current and former names, taxonomic details, clear morphological and ecological descriptions, and lists of other seaweeds that “could be confused with” your specimen – all curated by Dr. Patrick Martone (Professor of Phycology, UBC). Books can be quickly out-of-date, but Seaweed Sorter content will be updated frequently with taxonomic revisions, additional photos, new species, and more. Plus, content is available anytime and doesn’t require an internet connection, making Seaweed Sorter an excellent companion on any trip to the coast. Great for educators, students, consultants, and naturalists!
NRKW ID
This app provides up-to-date identification images and detailed information for individuals in the Northern Resident killer whale population. Navigate by clan, pod, matriline, sex, or age class to learn about each whale's name, sex, birth year, and mother.
- Killer whale identification images
- Detailed individual information
- Navigation by clan, pod, and matriline
- Filtering by sex and age class
- Full-screen image viewing
- News on population status
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This application provides up to date identification images of all live individuals belonging to the Northern Resident killer whale population. Annual updates will include the addition of images for new calves, revised images for individuals whose appearance has significantly changed and relevant notes. You can navigate by Clan, Pod and Matriline, or by sex and age class. In the ALL section, "Mature females" include all females 15 years of age or older, individuals over 14 who have not sprouted and any younger individuals who have given birth. "Mature males" include all individuals who have started sprouting, males with a dorsal fin that has reached its maximum height after sprouting, and all known males over 14 who have not started sprouting yet. "Juveniles" include all individuals aged between 4 and 14 years old and "Calves" include all individuals aged 3 or less. Individuals in the ALL section are arranged alphanumerically by name, whereas in the Matriline view, they are first laid out by generation, each of which is indented, and secondly by birth year. Identification images of each killer whale include information about the individual (name, sex, birth year, mother) and information about the image (photographer and year taken). Each image can be visualized in full screen by clicking on it. The News section provides information on the status of individuals in the Northern Resident killer whale population. **TERMS & CONDITIONS** These terms and conditions of service are a legal binding agreement between you and Bay Cetology governing your use of the NRKW ID Application. By using the app, you agree to be bound by the following Terms: The NRKW ID App and all the trademarks, copyrights, database rights and other intellectual property rights related to it, belong to the owner of the app, Bay Cetology. The NRKW ID App and all of its content, including, but not limited to, images, text, graphic designs such as logos and icons must not be copied, modified or republished in any way without permission from Bay Cetology. Any attempt to extract the source code of the NRKW ID App, translate the app into other languages, or make derivative versions is not permitted. The NRKW ID App stores and processes your name, email address and password, as stated in our Privacy Policy. It is your responsibility to keep your phone and access to the app secure. If we terminate the NRKW ID app, (a) the rights and licenses granted to you in these terms will end; (b) you must stop using the app, and (if needed) delete it from your device. Bay Cetology reserves the right to change the Terms at any time without prior notice. Your continued access and use of the app after such changes indicates your acceptance of the Terms as modified. This NRKW ID App was made possible with data and support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. App design by Elysanne Durand and Jared Towers. App icon and calf identification image placeholder designed by Tasli Shaw. **CONTACT US** If you have any questions or suggestions, or wish to report copyright infringements, contact us at info@baycetology.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
Seaweed Sorter and NRKW ID both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Seaweed Sorter's written reviews are positive against 50% of NRKW ID's. NRKW ID's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
NRKW ID is free to download; Seaweed Sorter costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Seaweed Sorter against 5.0 for NRKW ID. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Seaweed Sorter's written reviews are positive against 50% of NRKW ID's.
Seaweed Sorter ships an update every 3 months, NRKW ID every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Seaweed Sorter | NRKW ID |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 167 MB | 476 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Patrick Martone | Alert Bay Cetological Society |
Customer experience
Seaweed Sorter
NRKW ID
In-app purchases
Seaweed Sorter
No in-app purchases
NRKW ID
No in-app purchases







