# Audubon Bird Guide vs Birdwise

The clearest difference is rating: Birdwise at 5.0 against Audubon Bird Guide's 4.3. Birdwise also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and ads (none vs shown). Audubon Bird Guide's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (4.5K vs 4). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birdwise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Audubon Bird Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

Birdwise holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Audubon Bird Guide has 4.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Audubon Bird Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of Birdwise's.

Audubon Bird Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, Birdwise fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Audubon Bird Guide | Birdwise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audubon-bird-guide/id333227386/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdwise/id6760843072/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 64.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 355 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Audubon Society](https://appshunter.io/developer/1007642225) | [Trevor Pennington](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514673614) |

## What reviewers say

### Audubon Bird Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audubon-bird-guide/id333227386)

Identify North American birds with this comprehensive field guide. Features include a bird ID tool based on observations, detailed species information with photos and audio, and a personal sightings log. Discover nearby birding locations and connect with conservation efforts.

**Highlights:** Bird identification tool, Detailed species profiles, Bird song and call audio, Sightings log and life list, Nearby birding hotspots, Photo sharing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔍 Helpful for identifying birds
- 🎶 Useful bird calls and sounds
- 📍 Provides location-based bird sightings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes
- 🔄 Confusing interface changes
- 🔒 Requires account creation
- 📍 Limited location-based features
- 🗺️ Outdated or incomplete range maps

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening settings
- Incorrect sighting location recording
- Unreliable login and account features
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Syncing and data loss problems

**Requested features**

- Add photo ID and sound ID features
- Improve location-based bird sightings
- Expand coverage to more regions/countries
- Allow offline access to field guide
- Provide more detailed bird information


### Birdwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdwise/id6760843072)

Enhance your bird identification abilities with interactive decks of bird images and audio. Engage in various modes like Ranked, Training, and Learn to test and improve your knowledge.

**Highlights:** Bird image and audio decks, Ranked mode for timed challenges, Training mode for accuracy checks, Learn mode for guided study, Improve bird identification skills

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Birdwise pro | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Audubon Bird Guide free?

Audubon Bird Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Birdwise free?

Birdwise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Audubon Bird Guide or Birdwise?

Birdwise is rated higher. Audubon Bird Guide averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Birdwise averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Audubon Bird Guide or Birdwise have ads?

Audubon Bird Guide shows ads; Birdwise does not.

### Which is updated more often, Audubon Bird Guide or Birdwise?

Audubon Bird Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, and Birdwise fortnightly. Most recently, Audubon Bird Guide was updated on October 14, 2026 and Birdwise on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*