# Nature's Notebook vs Monarch Watch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Monarch Watch at 100% against Nature's Notebook's 40%. Monarch Watch also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.1). Nature's Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (26 vs 7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Monarch Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Nature's Notebook's written reviews are positive against 100% of Monarch Watch's.

Nature's Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, Monarch Watch monthly. The most recent releases landed on July 7, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nature's Notebook | Monarch Watch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/natures-notebook/id1463430668/reviews) | **[4.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monarch-watch/id1622788215/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 47 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Phenology Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/843843359) | [The University of Kansas](https://appshunter.io/developer/726307325) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Monarch Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monarch-watch/id1622788215)

Contribute to citizen science by tracking monarch butterflies. Log tagging, recovery, and calendar data with automatic image capture and field data import. Save data offline for later submission.

**Highlights:** Monarch tagging data submission, Recovery and calendar data logging, Automatic tag image capture, Streamlined data entry, Offline data saving, Educational materials

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nature's Notebook free?

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

### Is Monarch Watch free?

Monarch Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nature's Notebook or Monarch Watch?

Monarch Watch is rated higher. Nature's Notebook averages 3.1 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Monarch Watch averages 4.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Nature's Notebook or Monarch Watch have ads?

Neither Nature's Notebook nor Monarch Watch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nature's Notebook or Monarch Watch?

Nature's Notebook ships an update every 3 weeks, and Monarch Watch monthly. Most recently, Nature's Notebook was updated on July 7, 2026 and Monarch Watch on September 18, 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.*