Comparison

RecFish vs FishGround

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

Head to head
About

RecFish

This app helps anglers identify fish species from photos using advanced image recognition. It works offline and allows users to contribute to improving its accuracy and species database. The app is completely free with no ads or in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Photo-based fish identification
  • Offline functionality
  • Species identification accuracy
  • User-contributed data for improvement
  • Free to use
Features
Read full description

RecFish is a free and user-friendly fishing app that helps anglers like you accurately identify and record your catch by simply taking a photo or selecting a saved photo. RecFish uses the latest in image-recognition software and machine-learning models to instantly identify each fish to species level and works even when you are offline. RecFish can currently identify 100 species of fish with 95% accuracy. You can help improve RecFish even further by uploading your fish photos and letting us know whether RecFish accurately identified your catch. Anglers like you help us add more species and increase accuracy with the tap of a button! RecFish is completely free to use – no upfront costs, no in-app purchases, no paywalls, and no advertisements. Support for this project has been provided by competitive grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with support from NOAA, by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science's Dean & Director's Innovation Fund, and by recreational anglers like you! For additional information about the RecFish project or to make a donation, please go to https://www.recfish.org.

About

FishGround

This app helps anglers fish smarter by providing advanced logging, real-time forecasts, and detailed lure analysis. It offers personalized insights into fishing conditions and catch data to improve your success rate on every trip.

Highlights
  • 3-day fishing forecasts by species
  • Visual catch journal with map view
  • Favorite fishing spot updates
  • Lure performance analysis by conditions
  • Customizable menus for species and lures
  • Smart filters for catch data
  • Anonymized community catch trends
Read full description

What’s New in FishGround See what anglers are catching, get smarter lure advice, follow your favorite waters, and understand how weather affects fishing success. FishGround helps you plan better trips using real catch data — without exposing your private spots. FishGround – Catch More by Fishing Smarter Fishing isn’t just about waiting - it’s about knowing. FishGround turns every cast into insight, helping you fish smarter, not harder. With advanced logging, real-time forecasts, and deep lure analysis, FishGround gives anglers the edge to level up on every trip. Fishing Forecasts by Species Get a 3-day forecast for each fish type, based on real data and behavior patterns. Plan the best time to go - and what to target. Map View in Journal Your catch journal just got visual. See your past catches as pins on the map, not just as a list. My Locations with Updates Mark up to 3 favorite fishing spots and get regular updates on activity near those places - without sharing your location with anyone. Lure Performance by Conditions Understand how your lures perform under specific pressure, moon phases, wind conditions, or time of day. Make every lure count. Customizable Menus Only see the fish species and lures you actually use. Cleaner app, faster access, better experience. Smart Filters by Conditions Tap any moon phase, wind direction, or other element to instantly view matching catch data. Community Catch Trends Get access to anonymized insights from all FishGround users - see what’s working around you, without giving away your own spots. Bonus Features Add your total fishing time, use fixed date filters, and more small improvements for serious anglers. Your Journal, Your Rules We take privacy seriously. Your exact fishing locations are yours alone - we never share them with anyone else. Core Features: Smart Catch Journal - Automatically logs each catch with photos, location, and full weather data. Performance Reports - Analyze your best lures, tactics, and spots by fish type or size. Weather Insights - Know which conditions give you the edge: wind, pressure, moon, and more. Fish Smarter, Catch More Whether you’re chasing trophies or fine-tuning your weekend trips, FishGround gives you the tools to get better with every cast. Download FishGround today. Your journal. Your rules. Your edge.

Screenshots

RecFish4 screens
FishGround4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RecFish at none against FishGround's 4. RecFish also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads 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. FishGround sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. RecFish asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RecFish ships an update monthly, FishGround every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RecFish versus FishGround: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRecFishFishGround
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews—14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB194 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVirginia Institute of Marine ScienceFISHGROUND SIA

Customer experience

RecFish

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

FishGround

Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative85.7%

In-app purchases

None

RecFish

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

FishGround

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Three Month$9.993 Months
  • Six Month$11.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • Annual7 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is RecFish free?
RecFish is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FishGround free?
FishGround is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RecFish or FishGround have ads?
Neither RecFish nor FishGround shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RecFish or FishGround?
RecFish ships an update monthly, and FishGround every 3 weeks. Most recently, RecFish was updated on September 12, 2026 and FishGround on September 9, 2026.

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