# ScratchQ vs TaxBird

The clearest difference is price: TaxBird at Free against ScratchQ's $7.99. TaxBird also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (244 vs 1). ScratchQ's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

TaxBird is free to download; ScratchQ costs $7.99 up front. TaxBird sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ScratchQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ScratchQ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TaxBird has 244 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ScratchQ ships an update every 22 months, TaxBird every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ScratchQ | TaxBird |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchq/id1162249686/reviews)** | [3.9 (244 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taxbird-residency-tracker/id1238166926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **244** |
| Positive reviews | — | 33.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 1 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Autoolmaq LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1127949465) | [ware2now](https://appshunter.io/developer/1238166925) |

## What reviewers say

### ScratchQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchq/id1162249686)

This app serves as a digital scratchpad for everyday calculations, allowing users to save annotated versions for future reference. It features a color-coded system for organizing calculations and a custom keyboard for easy editing and access to operators.

**Highlights:** Save annotated calculations, Color-coded file system, Custom keyboard for editing, Easy access to arithmetic operators, Organize everyday math problems

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### TaxBird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taxbird-residency-tracker/id1238166926)

Effortlessly track your days spent in different countries, US states, or Canadian provinces for tax residency purposes. This app uses background location services for real-time tracking and provides reports to support your residency status. Plan your travel and avoid exceeding residency thresholds with automatic notifications.

**Highlights:** Real-time background tracking, Country, US state, and Canadian province tracking, Automatic residency threshold notifications, Comprehensive tax residency reports, Battery-efficient location gathering, Projected count planning

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TaxBird Monthly Auto-renewing | $4.99 | per month |
| TaxBird Annual Auto-renewing | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Accurate location tracking when working properly
- 📊 Excellent end-of-year reporting for tax purposes
- 🎯 Simple and intuitive interface design
- 🔄 Seamless background operation when functioning
- 💰 Reasonable subscription cost

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📍 Unreliable location tracking and detection
- ⚠️ Constantly missing days requiring manual entry
- 🔄 Location tracking degrades after OS updates
- 🔒 Difficult and limited editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when selecting certain locations (UAE, Germany, Singapore)
- Location tracking fails to detect movement under 500m
- App displays wrong location (e.g., Denmark instead of Switzerland)
- Freezing when opening app or navigating between tabs
- Missing days not properly synced despite location permissions

**Requested features**

- Ability to force location check-in manually
- Improved editing and deletion of entries
- Better handling of international locations
- Separate tracking for Puerto Rico outside US aggregate
- Apple Shortcuts automation for background updates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ScratchQ free?

ScratchQ costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TaxBird free?

TaxBird is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ScratchQ or TaxBird?

ScratchQ is rated higher. ScratchQ averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while TaxBird averages 3.9 from 244 ratings.

### Do ScratchQ or TaxBird have ads?

Neither ScratchQ nor TaxBird shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ScratchQ or TaxBird?

ScratchQ ships an update every 22 months, and TaxBird every 5 weeks. Most recently, ScratchQ was updated on November 2, 2026 and TaxBird on November 2, 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.*