BWP vs ButterflyCount
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 1,056 species covered
- 5,473 illustrations
- 1,066 songs and calls
- 916 videos
- 643 distribution maps
- Updated taxonomy and new species
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
ButterflyCount is free to download; BWP costs $35.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BWP ships an update every 2 months, ButterflyCount monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BWP | ButterflyCount |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3.3 GB | 139 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NatureGuides Ltd. | Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
Customer experience
BWP
ButterflyCount
In-app purchases
BWP
No in-app purchases
ButterflyCount
No in-app purchases







