Comparison

BWP vs ButterflyCount

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

Head to head
About

BWP

This comprehensive reference app provides detailed information on birds of the Western Palearctic. It features extensive data on species, including field characters, habitat, breeding, and behavior, enhanced with illustrations, songs, videos, and maps.

Highlights
  • 1,056 species covered
  • 5,473 illustrations
  • 1,066 songs and calls
  • 916 videos
  • 643 distribution maps
  • Updated taxonomy and new species
Features
Read full description

Birds of the Western Palearctic – BWP – is the definitive reference for everyone with a serious interest in birding and ornithology. Fifteen years ago we published all 11 printed volumes on DVD-ROM. Now we have fully overhauled this renowned BWPi for iOS and macOS. We have refreshed the design, breathed new life into the plates, added a comprehensive video library, integrated unique breeding birds content and updated taxonomy with new species and splits. Comprehensive coverage of every species that regularly occurs in the region, with sections on Field Characters, Habitat, Breeding, Distribution, Population, Movements, Social Pattern and Behaviour, Voice, Food, Plumages, Moults, Measurements and Geographical Variation. The app covers every species known to have occurred within the region, and we will be updating the app as new species occur (latest is Horned Puffin!). BWP integrates with Collins Bird Guide app so that you can switch between the two seamlessly. • 1,056 species covered • 5,473 illustrations • 1,066 songs and calls • 916 videos • 643 distribution maps • 10,176 photos of breeding stages • 1,557 line drawings showing behaviour • 288 life cycle diagrams • 2,446 tables • 37,690 references • 5,250,000 words of text! • Species names are translated into 25 languages The distribution and population data have not been updated since BWP was originally published, and some species have changed significantly since then. Compare species is available on iPad only.

About

ButterflyCount

Contribute to butterfly conservation by recording species sightings and counts with location data. This free app makes it easy to track observations and share data for scientific research and conservation efforts.

Highlights
  • Record butterfly species and counts
  • Add location data via map or GPS
  • Support observations with photos
  • Works fully offline
  • Global butterfly species lists
  • Customized country checklists
  • Contribute to scientific research
Features
Read full description

The world is increasingly aware of the perilous state of wildlife, and there have been widescale reports of declines in numbers of insects. Butterflies are no exception, being threatened in many parts of the world. There is an urgent need to greatly improve the knowledge of this vital part of biodiversity to help inform their conservation. This App enables you to contribute to butterfly conservation by providing important information on where different species occur and the numbers found in different places across the world. Contribute your counts of butterfly species alongside accurate location information, added via a dynamic map or via GPS acquired route information. You can add photos to support your observations. This free resource makes it easy to keep track of what you see, while making your data openly available for scientific research, education and conservation. Your data will be kept securely and will regularly backed up. Your sightings will be made available to experts to review and, with support of national co-ordinators, will be shared with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to enable them to be used for wider research to support conservation. Features • Works fully offline • Enter lists of butterfly species from any location, with minimal effort • Full list of butterfly species for countries across the world • ‘Record as you go’ functionality for incremental listing and counting butterflies • Map tools that enable you to add the area counted for butterflies • Checklists customised for your preferred country • Entire app translated in multiple languages • Share your sightings with others interested in monitoring butterflies • Contribute to science and conservation

Screenshots

BWP4 screens
ButterflyCount4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ButterflyCount at Free against BWP's $35.99. ButterflyCount also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%). On update cadence, 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

ButterflyCount is free to download; BWP costs $35.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BWP ships an update every 2 months, ButterflyCount monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
BWP versus ButterflyCount: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBWPButterflyCount
Price$35.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews64.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3.3 GB139 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNatureGuides Ltd.Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Customer experience

BWP

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive64.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative28.0%

ButterflyCount

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

BWP

No in-app purchases

None

ButterflyCount

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BWP free?
BWP costs $35.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ButterflyCount free?
ButterflyCount is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BWP or ButterflyCount have ads?
Neither BWP nor ButterflyCount shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BWP or ButterflyCount?
BWP ships an update every 2 months, and ButterflyCount monthly. Most recently, BWP was updated on October 13, 2026 and ButterflyCount on October 5, 2026.

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