# Pocket Field Notes vs NMDC Field Notes

The clearest difference is price: NMDC Field Notes at Free against Pocket Field Notes's $1.99. NMDC Field Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0). Pocket Field Notes's advantage is chart position (#195 vs unranked) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

NMDC Field Notes is free to download; Pocket Field Notes costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NMDC Field Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Pocket Field Notes ships an update every 3 months, NMDC Field Notes every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Field Notes | NMDC Field Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-field-notes/id1498395925/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nmdc-field-notes/id6575364655/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Hempfling](https://appshunter.io/developer/422781074) | [LAWRENCE BERKELEY](https://appshunter.io/developer/924683945) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Field Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-field-notes/id1498395925)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture and organize field notes with automatic geo-tagging and time stamps. Add photos to your notes and easily share them via email or by viewing their location on a map. Create project folders for efficient management of your field data.

**Highlights:** Automatic geo-tagging, Time and date stamping, Add photos to notes, Create project folders, Email notes with attachments, View location on map, Includes compass

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### NMDC Field Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nmdc-field-notes/id6575364655)

This app allows microbiome researchers to record biosample metadata directly in the field. It streamlines data documentation at the point of collection, offering features like ORCID login and automatic syncing with a web portal. Designed in collaboration with researchers, it provides a mobile alternative to browser-based submission.

**Highlights:** Record biosample metadata in the field, Streamline data documentation, ORCID login, One-tap entry of user info, coordinates, and dates, Dynamic UI forms from LinkML schema, Automatic syncing with NMDC Submission Portal

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Field Notes free?

Pocket Field Notes costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NMDC Field Notes free?

NMDC Field Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Field Notes or NMDC Field Notes?

NMDC Field Notes is rated higher. Pocket Field Notes averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while NMDC Field Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pocket Field Notes or NMDC Field Notes have ads?

Neither Pocket Field Notes nor NMDC Field Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Field Notes or NMDC Field Notes?

Pocket Field Notes ships an update every 3 months, and NMDC Field Notes every 5 months. Most recently, Pocket Field Notes was updated on September 24, 2026 and NMDC Field Notes on September 11, 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.*