# NaturaList vs SW Maps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SW Maps at none against NaturaList's 3. NaturaList's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NaturaList sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per year. SW Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NaturaList | SW Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **25** |
| Positive reviews | **31.9% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 39 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Biolovision Sàrl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175280267) | [Aviyaan Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653343736) |

## What reviewers say

### NaturaList

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/naturalist/id1175280268)

Easily record nature sightings with detailed information and precise GPS locations. Contribute to conservation efforts and science by sharing your observations with a global network of partner databases. View recent sightings in your area and discover rare species.

**Highlights:** Record sightings with GPS, Contribute to nature conservation, View recent sightings nearby, Add photos to sightings, Multilingual interface, Supports many taxonomic groups

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic subscription | $2.49 | per year |
| Follower subscription | $4.49 | per year |
| Big fan subscription | $9.49 | per year |


### SW Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083)

This app allows users to collect, present, and share geographic information. It supports recording points, lines, polygons, and associated data like photos and audio. High-accuracy GPS surveys are possible with external receivers, and data can be shared in various standard formats.

**Highlights:** Collect points, lines, and polygons, Attach custom attributes (text, photo, audio, video), High-accuracy GPS surveys with external receivers, Offline map support, Export data in multiple formats (Shapefile, GeoPackage, CSV), Create and share project templates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NaturaList free?

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

### Is SW Maps free?

SW Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NaturaList or SW Maps have ads?

Neither NaturaList nor SW Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NaturaList or SW Maps?

NaturaList ships an update every 2 months, and SW Maps every 2 months. Most recently, NaturaList was updated on October 10, 2026 and SW Maps on October 23, 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.*