ResearchGate vs ABA Community
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ResearchGate
Access over 150 million scientific publications and connect with millions of researchers worldwide. Stay updated on new research in your field, track your academic stats, and download full-text articles for offline reading.
- Access 150+ million publications
- Connect with 20+ million researchers
- Stay updated on new research
- Track academic stats and reports
- Download full-texts for offline reading
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Staying connected to the world of science is even easier with the ResearchGate app. ACCESS 150+ million publication pages Discover millions of publications right on your device, from anywhere. CONNECT with 20+ million researchers Discover other researchers and potential collaborators in your field. STAY UP TO DATE on new research in your field Get updates from the people you follow, and discover new and relevant research in your home feed. TRACK YOUR STATS and get weekly reports Keep track of your reads, citations, Research Interest Score, and more, and get notified when people interact with your work. DOWNLOAD full-texts to read anytime Discover interesting research while on the go, and save it to read whenever you want. To use the app, you need to have a registered ResearchGate account and be 18+ years old.
ABA Community
Connect with fellow bird enthusiasts in a dedicated online community. Engage in themed groups, participate in forums, and get expert advice on bird identification, gear, and travel. Access exclusive opportunities as an ABA member.
- Connect with fellow birders
- Engage in themed groups
- Participate in forums
- Get birding advice
- Access exclusive opportunities
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Inspired by the printed ABA Member Directory that served as a way for members to connect with fellow birders and trip guides many years ago, ABA Community is a safe online network accessed through your ABA membership. To use ABA Community you must be an ABA Member. What can you do at ABA Community: - Connect and interact with fellow birders. - Engage in groups focused on different birding themes. - Read and contribute to forums on specific topics. - Get advice on bird identification, birding gear, travel, and bird sightings. - Access special opportunities and presentations only available on ABA Community. After installing, go to https://www.aba.org/community/community-app/ to activate.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ResearchGate at 4.8 against ABA Community's 3.4. ResearchGate also leads on ratings volume (15K vs 9). ABA Community's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (63% vs 46%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ResearchGate holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ResearchGate has 15K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of ResearchGate's written reviews are positive against 63% of ABA Community's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ResearchGate ships an update every 5 weeks, ABA Community every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ResearchGate | ABA Community |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) — better | 3.4 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | 62.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 94 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ResearchGate GmbH | AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION, INC |
Customer experience
ResearchGate
ABA Community
Bugs and requests
ResearchGate
Reported bugs
5 issues- Notifications not working properly
- Inconsistent data between app and website
- Login issues with Facebook and LinkedIn
- Crashes when opening certain content
- UI elements overlapping on iPhone X/newer
Requested features
5 requests- Add iPad/tablet support
- Improve search and filtering options
- Streamline registration and account management
- Integrate question/answer functionality in app
- Provide more customization and personalization
ABA Community
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ResearchGate
No in-app purchases
ABA Community
No in-app purchases
