PADI AWARE vs iNaturalist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PADI AWARE
This app empowers users to find, track, and share conservation actions for ocean health. It supports initiatives like marine debris removal and citizen science, connecting individuals to a global movement for a healthier blue planet.
- Find conservation actions
- Track conservation efforts
- Share impactful actions
- Support marine debris removal
- Advocate for marine protected areas
- Participate in citizen science
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PADI AWARE Conservation Action Portal Where Every Action Shapes the Future of Our Blue Planet PADI AWARE Foundation is a publicly funded charity with a mission to drive local action for global ocean conservation. The Conservation Action Portal makes it easier than ever to find, track, and share impactful conservation actions – both above and below water. Whether you're involved in removing marine debris, advocating for marine protected areas, or supporting citizen science, you are a part of a growing movement that is shaping the future of our blue planet.
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.
- AI species identification
- Record species observations
- Contribute to scientific data
- Explore biodiversity
- Connect with nature enthusiasts
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iNaturalist at 4.1 against PADI AWARE's 3.0. iNaturalist also leads on ratings volume (715 vs 1) and chart position (#87 vs unranked). PADI AWARE's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iNaturalist holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist has 715 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of PADI AWARE's written reviews are positive against 49% of iNaturalist's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
PADI AWARE ships an update monthly, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PADI AWARE | iNaturalist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.1 (715 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 48.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 715 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #87 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 220 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PADI AWARE Foundation | iNaturalist |
Customer experience
PADI AWARE
iNaturalist
Bugs and requests
PADI AWARE
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
PADI AWARE
No in-app purchases
iNaturalist
No in-app purchases
