Nature's Notebook vs Budburst
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nature's Notebook
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.
- Record plant and animal life cycle events
- Mark observation sites
- Create species lists
- Log seasonal observations
- Citizen science program
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Nature's Notebook is a program for observing and recording plant and animal life cycle events, like flowering and bird migration. Use this app to mark your sites, create a list of plants and animals, and going into the field to record observations throughout the seasons. Find out more at www.usanpn.org/nn/guidelines.
Budburst
Observe and record plant data to contribute to a national community science project. Identify plants, track their life cycles, and collaborate with others to understand and preserve nature.
- Observe plants with interactive map
- In-app plant identification tool
- Monitor plant life cycles
- Track plant-animal interactions
- Collaborate in community groups
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Capturing the beauty of nature and collecting plant data has never been easier. With the Budburst app, you can contribute to a national community science project by observing plants, uploading your data, and sharing your findings in an instant. When you use the Budburst app, you can observe plants in your area with the interactive map, learn about plants with the in-app identification tool, monitor plant life cycles and plant-animal interactions over time, and collaborate in groups with other community scientists. Preserve the nature around you by helping us better understand it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Budburst at 4.2 against Nature's Notebook's 3.2. Budburst also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 40%). Nature's Notebook's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, 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.
Budburst holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Nature's Notebook's written reviews are positive against 50% of Budburst's.
Nature's Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, Budburst every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Nature's Notebook | Budburst |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (27 ratings) | 4.2 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | National Phenology Network | Chicago Horticultural Society |
Customer experience
Nature's Notebook
Budburst
In-app purchases
Nature's Notebook
No in-app purchases
Budburst
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Nature's Notebook free?
Is Budburst free?
Which has better reviews, Nature's Notebook or Budburst?
Do Nature's Notebook or Budburst have ads?
Which is updated more often, Nature's Notebook or Budburst?
Other comparisons
