PolliNation ID vs iNaturalist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PolliNation ID
Contribute to a citizen science project by identifying and documenting native pollinators. Learn about their habits and habitats, and submit photos to help researchers understand their distribution.
- Identify native pollinators
- Learn about habits and habitats
- Submit photos of findings
- Contribute to citizen science
- Increase awareness of pollinators
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Bees and other native pollinators around the globe are disappearing at a shocking rate; it is clear that we need to act right away! The PolliNation Project is a citizen science initiative sponsored by the University of Michigan-Dearborn to increase awareness of native pollinators and to better understand their plight. Become part of this initiative by using this app to identify and submit accounts of the native pollinators that you see in your neighborhood. Here you’ll find all the tools that you need to identify common Michigan pollinators and other insects that share their homes as well as learn more about their habits and habitats. You can also submit pictures of the pollinators that you find to help us learn more about the distributions of these important insects. To learn more about the PolliNation project, visit our website.
iNaturalist
Identify plants, animals, and fungi using your camera or imported photos. Get AI-powered species suggestions and connect with a global community of nature enthusiasts to learn more about the natural world and contribute to scientific conservation efforts.
- AI species identification
- Record species observations
- Contribute to scientific data
- Explore biodiversity
- Connect with nature enthusiasts
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Your photos of plants, animals, fungi, and more can help protect nature all around the world. iNaturalist is free, nonprofit, and community-powered. iNaturalist helps millions of people learn about and document the nature around them. Point your camera at plants, animals, and fungi to get instant identification suggestions, then share your photos or sound recordings as an "observation." Then, see your observation get reviewed by a global community of knowledgeable nature-lovers to turn it into a useful data point for science and conservation efforts. Your everyday moments of curiosity can directly contribute to protecting nature, and you don't need any previous experience or knowledge to get started. iNaturalist is a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to nature and advancing biodiversity science and conservation, and is freely available thanks to the generous support of our community. KEY FEATURES • Identify species from anywhere in the world • Contribute to science by sharing your observations • Keep a record of species you see • Explore and protect biodiversity • Connect with and learn from other nature enthusiasts
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: iNaturalist at 49% against PolliNation ID's 0%. iNaturalist also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (714 vs 1). PolliNation ID's advantage is iOS requirement (13.2 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
iNaturalist holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist has 714 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of PolliNation ID's written reviews are positive against 49% of iNaturalist's.
PolliNation ID ships an update every 5 weeks, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PolliNation ID | iNaturalist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.1 (714 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 48.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 714 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #94 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.2 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 220 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The University of Michigan | iNaturalist |
Customer experience
PolliNation ID
iNaturalist
Bugs and requests
PolliNation ID
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
iNaturalist
Reported bugs
5 issues- App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips
- Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu
- Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time
- Map showing incorrect observation locations
- Crashes and performance issues on some devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to type in address/coordinates for location
- Option to add observations to projects during upload
- Batch editing/uploading of observations
- More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory)
- Bring back colored observation markers on map
In-app purchases
PolliNation ID
No in-app purchases
iNaturalist
No in-app purchases
