# Project FeederWatch vs Nature's Notebook

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nature's Notebook at every 3 weeks against Project FeederWatch's every 2 months. Nature's Notebook also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.0 for Project FeederWatch against 3.1 for Nature's Notebook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 68 and 26 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Project FeederWatch's written reviews are positive against 40% of Nature's Notebook's.

Project FeederWatch ships an update every 2 months, Nature's Notebook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Project FeederWatch | Nature's Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-feederwatch/id1439222765/reviews) | **[3.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/natures-notebook/id1463430668/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 63 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [National Phenology Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/843843359) |

## What reviewers say

### Project FeederWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-feederwatch/id1439222765)

Easily report bird sightings from your feeder for scientific research. Track your statistics, access past counts, and learn about local feeder birds. Contribute to a large database that aids conservation efforts.

**Highlights:** Report winter bird sightings, Track sighting statistics, Access past count archives, Contribute to bird population database, Discover best food and feeder types, Identify and learn about feeder birds

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 👍 Straightforward tracking
- 👍 Neat data summaries
- 👍 Good support responsiveness
- 👍 Convenient app access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Unexpected payment required
- 🐛 Data loss and disappearing counts
- 🐛 App freezes and crashes
- 🐛 Login issues and errors
- 🐛 Inconsistent data saving

**Reported bugs**

- Birds saved then disappear
- Counts get lost
- Entries not saved consistently
- Part of data not recorded
- App deletes counts

**Requested features**

- Fix data loss issues
- Improve app stability
- Resolve login problems
- Add offline data entry
- Provide taxonomic sort option


### Nature's Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/natures-notebook/id1463430668)

Record observations of plant and animal life cycles, such as flowering and migration. Mark observation sites, create species lists, and log seasonal changes in nature.

**Highlights:** Record plant and animal life cycle events, Mark observation sites, Create species lists, Log seasonal observations, Citizen science program

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Project FeederWatch free?

Project FeederWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nature's Notebook free?

Nature's Notebook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Project FeederWatch or Nature's Notebook?

Nature's Notebook is rated higher. Project FeederWatch averages 3.0 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Nature's Notebook averages 3.1 from 26 ratings.

### Do Project FeederWatch or Nature's Notebook have ads?

Neither Project FeederWatch nor Nature's Notebook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Project FeederWatch or Nature's Notebook?

Project FeederWatch ships an update every 2 months, and Nature's Notebook every 3 weeks. Most recently, Project FeederWatch was updated on October 7, 2026 and Nature's Notebook on October 1, 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.*