Comparison

Garmin Messenger™ vs BirdingApp.

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

Head to head
About

Garmin Messenger™

Communicate globally with friends and family, even without cell service. Pair with a compatible satellite communicator for secure messaging and SOS capabilities. Enjoy automatic network switching for reliable connectivity and real-time location sharing.

Highlights
  • Global messaging
  • Interactive SOS
  • Group messaging
  • Photo and voice messaging
  • Automatic network switching
  • Real-time location sharing (LiveTrack)
Features
Read full description

Stay in touch with friends and family. Enjoy the security and connectivity of global messaging with the Garmin Messenger™ app. Pair with your compatible inReach® satellite communicator for fast, easy direct messaging and interactive SOS that’s not limited to cellphone coverage areas (active satellite subscription required). The app supports group messaging as well as photo and voice messaging when paired with a compatible Garmin device (1). Automatic switching between internet, cellular, and satellite networks gives you the best connectivity and efficiency for all your messaging. When you have connectivity, the app will work seamlessly even if your inReach device is turned off. Invite your friends and family to download the app to stay connected and keep the conversation going on and off the trail. With the use of the LiveTrack™ feature, loved ones can follow your location in real time (2) and see data such as distance, time and elevation. (1) See compatible devices at garmin.com/p/893837#devices (2) When used with your compatible smartphone and the Garmin Earthmate® app or when used with your compatible inReach® technology-enabled Garmin device. Note: Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.

About

BirdingApp.

Connect with fellow birdwatchers, organize your birding activities, and stay updated on sightings. Discover local guides, plan routes, and receive real-time alerts for rare birds. Engage in friendly competition and challenges.

Highlights
  • Create user profiles and connect with friends
  • Location-based chat for local sightings
  • Real-time rare bird alerts
  • Plan birding routes and trips
  • Bird quizzes and leaderboards
  • Offline chat and location sharing
Features
Read full description

BirdingApp is here to help you connect with other birders in the field and keep your birding life organized. Whether you're looking for a local guide, want to plan your daily birding routes and trips, or just want realtime updates on birds being seen, we've built tools to help you out! -Connect with Nearby Birders: Introduce yourself, link your eBird stats, and discover friends to follow and connect with. Also mark patches you're familiar with birding and regions you're interested in visiting. Our privacy settings allow control over who can see your details. -Convos and Chats: Enjoy familiar chat app functionality with a range of features, like support for location pins, photos and emoji reactions. We automatically detect and link eBird checklists and Macaulay Library references. Create your own private chat groups or engage with various public topics. -- Nearby Birder Chat: A geospatial chat room where messages are stored based on location and can be interacted with based on your proximity. Stay informed about recent birding conditions, sightings, and hotspot details, and connect with local birders wherever you are! No need to fret about how to join the local birding group and what app they might be using. -- Rare Bird and Hotspot Chats: Tapping on an RBA in your activity feed or directly from hotspots on maps will transport you to a view of the chat focused on a radius around that location. Find out if the bird is still being seen and discuss strategies for relocating it before making the trip! -- BirdChirp: We also include an off-grid chat and location sharing feature for those of you going into remote areas without cell coverage. Check our website for more info! -Robust Bird Alerts: Rarity notifications can be highly customized to your preferences. Never miss out on a nearby Slaty-backed Gull again! Post RBAs in BirdingApp to send out local or state-level rarities instantly and get feedback about who is chasing or seeing the bird. Set your interested radius, and optionally mute notifications for continuing birds or specific species. Through the Birding Arena section we also offer alerts for your target birds that may not be considered "rare". -Birding Arena: This is a place for friendly competition and solo challenges. Take on daily hotspot challenges and complete bird quizzes to earn points for spending on target bird alerts nearby or in other regions! Leaderboards keep track of rankings for daily birding in your region and total points earned on the app. -Hotspot Insights: From clear county lines to color-coded markers, our maps make it easy to find the best hotspot for your next stop. Photos and tips from birdinghotspots.org are integrated, and we've added both ratings and reviews so you can quickly check the quality or leave your assessment for others. -Routes, Itineraries, and Trips: Create and share birding routes, with the app displaying rarities from eBird near your chosen route! Utilize the itineraries feature to design routes and schedule multiple trips, while keeping track of all your planned adventures on a convenient calendar. Don't forget to invite your friends to join you! -Trip Chats: Once you book a birding trip, our app automatically adds you to a dedicated trip chat. This feature is perfect for discussing trip details, staying connected with fellow birders, and sharing corrections on your eBird lists afterward. -User Supported, Ad-free: We don't like ads either, so please consider supporting our mission and help cover the costs of the app by signing up for a quarterly or yearly subscription. Some extra perks include additional RBA preferences, viewing rarities anywhere on the map, getting notified about specific target birds and ABA-level rarities, more media uploads, and priority notifications. We are always working on new features, so let us know what you'd like to see! iOS Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Garmin Messenger™4 screens
BirdingApp.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BirdingApp. at 83% against Garmin Messenger™'s 19%. BirdingApp. also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and device support (3 vs 1). Garmin Messenger™'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (14K vs 35). On price, update cadence and ads 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. BirdingApp. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 3 months. Garmin Messenger™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BirdingApp. holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Messenger™ has 14K ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of Garmin Messenger™'s written reviews are positive against 83% of BirdingApp.'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Garmin Messenger™ ships an update every 3 weeks, BirdingApp. fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Garmin Messenger™ versus BirdingApp.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGarmin Messenger™BirdingApp.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (14K ratings)4.9 (35 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.4% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14K — better35
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#69 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB35 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperGarminEpter LLC

Customer experience

Garmin Messenger™

All ratings13,435 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews563 reviews
Positive19.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative71.2%

BirdingApp.

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Garmin Messenger™

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • No verification code received
  • App freezes during activation
  • Inconsistent behavior between app and device
  • Messaging not working in areas with no cell coverage

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to message non-Messenger contacts
  • Improved contact management and syncing
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • Ability to delete messages on paired devices
  • Better integration with Garmin Explore app

BirdingApp.

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Garmin Messenger™

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

BirdingApp.

Subscriptions2
  • Supporter - 3 Months, renewing$6.993 Months
  • Supporter - 1 Year, renewing$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Supporter - 1 Year only$24.99

Questions

Is Garmin Messenger™ free?
Garmin Messenger™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BirdingApp. free?
BirdingApp. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Garmin Messenger™ or BirdingApp.?
BirdingApp. is rated higher. Garmin Messenger™ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while BirdingApp. averages 4.9 from 35 ratings.
Do Garmin Messenger™ or BirdingApp. have ads?
Neither Garmin Messenger™ nor BirdingApp. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Garmin Messenger™ or BirdingApp.?
Garmin Messenger™ ships an update every 3 weeks, and BirdingApp. fortnightly. Most recently, Garmin Messenger™ was updated on October 24, 2026 and BirdingApp. on October 24, 2026.

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