Comparison

Project FeederWatch vs The Bat App

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Project FeederWatch

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
Read full description

Do you feed birds? You can report what you see for science. Project FeederWatch, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada, monitors winter feeder-bird populations in North America. The FeederWatch Mobile App is a new way for Project FeederWatch members to contribute their bird counts. Sign in to: •Report birds that visit your count site in winter (US and Canada only) •Track your sighting statistics in real time •Access your archive of past counts from all years •Contribute to North America’s largest database on feeder birds •Find out what food and feeder types work best for the birds overwintering near you •Identify and learn about feeder birds FeederWatch Mobile automatically syncs with the web version for seamless multi-platform support. Your data become immediately available for scientific research, education, and conservation. Thank you for helping birds!

About

The Bat App

Explore the fascinating world of bats with this comprehensive educational app. Learn about their ecological importance, discover 47 North American species with detailed profiles and range maps, and understand the threats they face, including white-nose syndrome. It also covers common misconceptions and conservation efforts.

Highlights
  • 9 educational sections on bats
  • Profiles of 47 North American species
  • Detailed species information and range maps
  • Information on bat threats and white-nose syndrome
  • FAQ covering over 80 questions
  • Details on vampire bats
  • Conservation organization listings
Read full description

The Bat App is an educational resource for anyone of any age interested in learning about our most misunderstood, unappreciated, yet truly amazing mammal. There are 9 sections covering many topics, so get ready to learn A LOT about bats. First, you will learn all about bats and how useful they are, how they keep us healthy, how save farmers billions of dollars a year and are the reason we put many delicious fruits on our table. Next, you will be introduced to the 47 bat species living in North America. These bats will warm your heart, just wait. Many of the photographs in the app are contributed by famed bat ecologist, Dr. Merlin Tuttle, who has been photographing bats all over the world for over 60 years. There are many photos that are so extraordinary, you simply won't believe he was able to capture them. Each species profile includes a gallery, tons of information about each bat, and range maps so you know at-a-glance where to find them. If you're dying to know which bats live near you and are flying overhead at night, we've got you covered. Go to Bats by State or Province and pick your state or province from the icons on the left. You will find a list of all bat species in your area, each with a full profile and gallery. When you start learning about how cool bats are, hold onto your hat when you get to the lesser long-nosed bat. You won't believe what this bat pollinates! All bats are at risk, so of course there is a Top 10 Threats section. We do a deep dive into white-nose syndrome (WNS) and have included a gallery and links to maps were this deadly fungus occurs, as well as how many bats have been affected and which species are most at-risk. Other threats you will learn about include habitat loss, climate change, domestic cats and humans. Naturally, there is information on diseases commonly associated with bats, particularly rabies, to educate you and set your mind at ease. The FAQ section covers over 80 of your most pressing questions, because you know you have questions... Vampire bats are covered in great detail so you can finally learn about these fascinating little mammals and stop having nightmares about them. Along with photos and more data than your brain can handle, The Bat App lists several organizations working tirelessly toward bat conservation, research, rehabilitation and education. So definitely check them out and support them if you can. These are only a few of the highlights of The Bat App, so have fun, learn a lot, and give bats a chance; they really are one of our most precious, unique treasures, and they need our protection now more than ever.

Screenshots

Project FeederWatch4 screens
The Bat App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Bat App at 100% against Project FeederWatch's 33%. The Bat App also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). Project FeederWatch's advantage is ratings volume (68 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Bat App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Project FeederWatch has 68 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Project FeederWatch's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Bat App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Project FeederWatch ships an update every 2 months, The Bat App every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Project FeederWatch versus The Bat App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProject FeederWatchThe Bat App
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (68 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings68 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCornell UniversityNaturedigger LLC

Customer experience

Project FeederWatch

All ratings68 ratings
Positive41.2%
Neutral13.2%
Negative45.6%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral17.8%
Negative48.9%

The Bat App

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Project FeederWatch

Reported bugs

40 issues
  • Birds saved then disappear
  • Counts get lost
  • Entries not saved consistently
  • Part of data not recorded
  • App deletes counts
Show 35 more
  • App freezes/hangs regularly
  • Connection fails repeatedly
  • App is slow to respond
  • Opens to a blank black screen
  • App doesn't recognize submitted through browser
  • Entering total observation doesn't work
  • Freezes after entering most data
  • Frequent freezes and server problems
  • App freezes when coming up
  • App freezes frequently on iPad Pro
  • Forced to close and reload app
  • No way to enter data offline
  • App freezes after using for 2 minutes
  • Login problem fixed but causes freezing
  • Login fails, incorrect password/account not activated
  • Cannot alter/fix incorrect bird count
  • Cannot delete sightings
  • Cannot zero out a bird count
  • Account not activated message
  • Latest update doesn't work
  • Server doesn't want to connect
  • App doesn't connect
  • Screen goes all black
  • Logins become a nightmare for months
  • App goes to a totally black screen after appearing to be launching
  • Lost bird count due to black screen lock up
  • Regularly fails to recognize login
  • Zero observations reported initially
  • Cannot log in, account not activated
  • App doesn't work at all after update
  • App directs to log in on website, but still doesn't load data
  • Can't enter dates correctly
  • App doesn't report a problem with version, but newer version exists
  • Repeatedly freezes to the point of needing to power off/on
  • Froze if left open too long

Requested features

19 requests
  • Fix data loss issues
  • Improve app stability
  • Resolve login problems
  • Add offline data entry
  • Provide taxonomic sort option
Show 14 more
  • Enable data entry by alpha code
  • Fix blank black screen on launch
  • Allow alteration/deletion of incorrect counts
  • Add French language version
  • Improve iPad functionality
  • Make app more robust for all users
  • Ensure consistent data saving
  • Fix server connection issues
  • Update app more frequently
  • Improve user interface for better screen utilization
  • Fix issues with switching between apps
  • Allow editing of submitted counts
  • Improve handling of large counts
  • Ensure all species counts are saved

The Bat App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Project FeederWatch

No in-app purchases

None

The Bat App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Project FeederWatch free?
Project FeederWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Bat App free?
The Bat App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Project FeederWatch or The Bat App?
The Bat App is rated higher. Project FeederWatch averages 3.0 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while The Bat App averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Project FeederWatch or The Bat App have ads?
Neither Project FeederWatch nor The Bat App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Project FeederWatch or The Bat App?
Project FeederWatch ships an update every 2 months, and The Bat App every 3 days. Most recently, Project FeederWatch was updated on October 23, 2026 and The Bat App on October 24, 2026.

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