Comparison

SoilWeb vs Nature's Notebook

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

Head to head
About

SoilWeb

Access detailed soil survey information based on your current location. View soil profile sketches, estimated proportions, and geomorphic positions. Get aggregate data like water holding capacity and links to official soil descriptions.

Highlights
  • Soil profile sketches and geomorphic position
  • Map unit aggregate data (e.g., water holding capacity)
  • Soil survey area scale and publication date
  • Detailed component soil properties and ratings
  • Links to Official Series Descriptions (OSDs)
  • Location accuracy and auto-refresh settings
Features
Read full description

The SoilWeb for iOS application accesses soil survey information (the SSURGO dataset, published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) at your current location. This app was designed to be a lightweight version of the SoilWeb GMap web application. SoilWeb GMap features an interactive map for viewing and querying individual map units, while this app does not. However, SoilWeb for iOS conveniently provides a link to the SoilWeb GMap web app. SoilWeb GMap is available at https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ More information about SSURGO is available at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcs142p2_053627 Features of SoilWeb for iOS include: - Soil profile sketches, estimated proportions, and geomorphic position of soil components associated with the SSURGO "map unit" identified at your current location. - Map unit aggregate data such as estimated water holding capacity. - Soil survey area scale and publication date. - Component details: soil taxonomy, soil property depth profiles, land classification ratings, hydraulic and erosion ratings, forest productivity, soil suitability ratings. - Links to Official Series Descriptions (OSDs) generated automatically. - Component links to related web apps: Series Extent Explorer (SEE) and Soil Data Explorer (SDE). - Link to the SoilWeb GMap web application at your current location. - Location accuracy setting allows you to select between standard accuracy (less accurate, uses less battery power) and high accuracy (more accurate, but may use more battery power). - Location auto-refresh feature allows you to continually look up soil data at a specified time interval.

About

Nature's Notebook

Record observations of plant and animal life cycles, such as flowering and migration. Mark observation sites, create species lists, and log seasonal changes in nature.

Highlights
  • Record plant and animal life cycle events
  • Mark observation sites
  • Create species lists
  • Log seasonal observations
  • Citizen science program
Read full description

Nature's Notebook is a program for observing and recording plant and animal life cycle events, like flowering and bird migration. Use this app to mark your sites, create a list of plants and animals, and going into the field to record observations throughout the seasons. Find out more at www.usanpn.org/nn/guidelines.

Screenshots

SoilWeb4 screens
Nature's Notebook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nature's Notebook at every 3 weeks against SoilWeb's every 8 months. SoilWeb's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.1) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SoilWeb holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of SoilWeb's written reviews are positive against 40% of Nature's Notebook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SoilWeb ships an update every 8 months, Nature's Notebook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SoilWeb versus Nature's Notebook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoilWebNature's Notebook
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (14 ratings) — better3.1 (26 ratings)
Positive reviews47.0% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1426 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of California, DavisNational Phenology Network

Customer experience

SoilWeb

All ratings14 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative35.7%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive47.0%
Neutral21.2%
Negative31.8%

Nature's Notebook

All ratings26 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral15.4%
Negative34.6%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

SoilWeb

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes on opening
  • App doesn't open
  • App not compatible with iOS 11/14
  • Map gives soil data for wrong area
  • Soil series name font color is white, hard to read
Show 4 more
  • OSD links do not always work
  • Broken links
  • App not functional for updated Apple platforms
  • Response Error: 502 Bad Gateway

Requested features

8 requests
  • Allow "view map" feature like desktop version
  • Change soil series font color
  • Add map view for nearby soil types
  • Allow manual input of locations
  • Data export options
Show 3 more
  • iPad version
  • Log data points and notes on iPad
  • Print reports from iPad app

Nature's Notebook

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SoilWeb

No in-app purchases

None

Nature's Notebook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SoilWeb free?
SoilWeb is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nature's Notebook free?
Nature's Notebook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SoilWeb or Nature's Notebook?
SoilWeb is rated higher. SoilWeb averages 3.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Nature's Notebook averages 3.1 from 26 ratings.
Do SoilWeb or Nature's Notebook have ads?
Neither SoilWeb nor Nature's Notebook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SoilWeb or Nature's Notebook?
SoilWeb ships an update every 8 months, and Nature's Notebook every 3 weeks. Most recently, SoilWeb was updated on October 4, 2026 and Nature's Notebook on October 1, 2026.

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