Prin App vs iNaturalist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Prin App
This app connects you to your college community, keeping you updated on events, classes, and deadlines. Access campus resources and connect with peers anytime.
- Campus event updates
- Class and assignment tracking
- Notifications for important dates
- Campus resource access
- Peer-to-peer connection
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Stay connected to everything happening at Principia College with the Prin App. Get real-time updates on campus events, academic deadlines, and student life all in one place designed for the Principia community. Whether you're checking the dining hall menu, RSVPing to a campus event, following your favorite student organizations, or catching up on news and announcements, Prin App keeps you plugged in wherever you are.
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: Prin App at 100% against iNaturalist's 49%. Prin App also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.1). iNaturalist's advantage is ratings volume (715 vs 32) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). 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.
Prin App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist has 715 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Prin App's written reviews are positive against 49% of iNaturalist's.
Prin App ships an update every 6 weeks, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Prin App | iNaturalist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (32 ratings) — better | 4.1 (715 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 48.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 32 | 715 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #87 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 220 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Principia Corporation | iNaturalist |
Customer experience
Prin App
iNaturalist
Bugs and requests
Prin App
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
Prin App
No in-app purchases
iNaturalist
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Prin App free?
Is iNaturalist free?
Which has better reviews, Prin App or iNaturalist?
Do Prin App or iNaturalist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Prin App or iNaturalist?
Other comparisons
