# SURFboard Central vs Birdnee

The clearest difference is rating: Birdnee at 5.0 against SURFboard Central's 1.6. Birdnee also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). SURFboard Central's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birdnee sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. SURFboard Central asks for nothing beyond the download.

Birdnee holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SURFboard Central has 1.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

SURFboard Central ships an update every 2 months, Birdnee fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SURFboard Central | Birdnee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfboard-central/id1478418148/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdnee/id6755031503/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 193 MB | 131 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ARRIS Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/571770115) | [CONICO (HK) TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821357765) |

## What reviewers say

### SURFboard Central

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfboard-central/id1478418148)

Simplify the setup and management of your home network devices. This app provides step-by-step installation guides, Wi-Fi configuration, and network monitoring for various modems, routers, and mesh systems.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step device installation guides, Wi-Fi network configuration and management, Guest network setup, Client device monitoring, Parental controls and screen time management, Network health monitoring

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast setup
- 💡 Helpful for monitoring home network
- 🔒 Secure connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🔍 Limited functionality
- 💤 Slow and unresponsive
- 🤔 Confusing setup process
- 🔒 Poor security and privacy

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Fails to connect to network
- Incorrect device information displayed
- Parental controls don't work as expected
- Unable to change network name or password

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced configuration options
- Improve parental controls and internet scheduling
- Provide a web-based interface instead of just a mobile app
- Allow users to bypass the app and access router settings directly


### Birdnee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdnee/id6755031503)

Connect to a smart bird feeder camera to observe and identify backyard birds in real-time. Receive instant notifications with photos and videos of visiting birds, and access educational insights. Enjoy all-weather, day-and-night HD observation and easily manage and share your captured moments.

**Highlights:** AI bird identification for over 10,000 species, Instant notifications with HD photos and videos, Real-time live feed viewing, All-weather, day and night HD observation, Cloud or local MicroSD card video storage, Multi-user viewing and social media sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SURFboard Central free?

SURFboard Central is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Birdnee free?

Birdnee is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SURFboard Central or Birdnee?

Birdnee is rated higher. SURFboard Central averages 1.6 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Birdnee averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do SURFboard Central or Birdnee have ads?

Neither SURFboard Central nor Birdnee shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SURFboard Central or Birdnee?

SURFboard Central ships an update every 2 months, and Birdnee fortnightly. Most recently, SURFboard Central was updated on October 22, 2026 and Birdnee on October 16, 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.*