# Audubon Bird Guide vs eBird

The clearest difference is rating: Audubon Bird Guide at 4.3 against eBird's 3.8. Audubon Bird Guide also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 37%) and ratings volume (4.5K vs 803). eBird's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Audubon Bird Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Audubon Bird Guide has 4.5K ratings behind it against 803, 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 37% of eBird's.

Audubon Bird Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, eBird monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Audubon Bird Guide | eBird |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audubon-bird-guide/id333227386/reviews)** | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 803 |
| Positive reviews | **64.3% of reviews** | 36.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#115** |
| Size | 358 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Audubon Society](https://appshunter.io/developer/1007642225) | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) |

## 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


### eBird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Easily record bird sightings in the field and contribute to a global database for scientific research and conservation. This app offers offline functionality, customized checklists, and GPS-enabled location plotting.

**Highlights:** Record bird observations globally, Global taxonomy and local common names, Location and time-based checklists, Rare species flagging, Offline functionality, GPS location plotting, Trip and day list tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for citizen science
- 🔍 Helpful for finding birds at hotspots
- 📚 Useful for tracking life lists
- 👍 Easy to use and submit checklists
- 🤝 Integrates well with Merlin Bird ID

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📍 Issues with location tracking and mapping
- 🤔 Unintuitive user interface
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location data

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to start a new checklist
- Inability to log in or access account
- Inconsistent behavior with bird pack downloads
- Checklist data not syncing across devices
- Explore feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload photos and audio directly in the app
- Implement alphabetical sorting for checklists
- Improve syncing between app and website
- Add more advanced filtering and search options
- Provide offline access to bird information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Audubon Bird Guide free?

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

### Is eBird free?

eBird is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Audubon Bird Guide is rated higher. Audubon Bird Guide averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while eBird averages 3.8 from 803 ratings.

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

Audubon Bird Guide shows ads; eBird does not.

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

Audubon Bird Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, and eBird monthly. Most recently, Audubon Bird Guide was updated on September 23, 2026 and eBird on September 22, 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.*