Comparison

Secchi vs iNaturalist

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Secchi

Features
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Climate change is threatening the phytoplankton that underpins the marine food chain. We must understand why before it's too late. Secchi enables you to take part in the Secchi Disk citizen science study and help collect essential data on the phytoplankton.

About

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.

Highlights
  • AI species identification
  • Record species observations
  • Contribute to scientific data
  • Explore biodiversity
  • Connect with nature enthusiasts
Currently charting
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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

Secchi4 screens
iNaturalist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: iNaturalist at fortnightly against Secchi's every 7 months. iNaturalist also leads on chart position (#61 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Secchi ships an update every 7 months, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Secchi versus iNaturalist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSecchiiNaturalist
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.1 (664 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—48.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—664 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
Best chart rank—#61 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB219 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Secchi Disk FoundationiNaturalist

Bugs and requests

Secchi

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

None

Secchi

No in-app purchases

None

iNaturalist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Secchi free?
Secchi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iNaturalist free?
iNaturalist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Secchi or iNaturalist have ads?
Neither Secchi nor iNaturalist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Secchi or iNaturalist?
Secchi ships an update every 7 months, and iNaturalist fortnightly. Most recently, Secchi was updated on September 23, 2026 and iNaturalist on September 25, 2026.

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