# SoilWeb vs Nature's Notebook

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | SoilWeb | Nature's Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soilweb/id354911787/reviews)** | [3.1 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/natures-notebook/id1463430668/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **26** |
| Positive reviews | **47.0% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of California, Davis](https://appshunter.io/developer/356519286) | [National Phenology Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/843843359) |

## What reviewers say

### SoilWeb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soilweb/id354911787)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Extremely helpful app
- 👍 Great for soil science
- 👍 Useful for field work
- 👍 Intuitive data interface
- 👍 Provides soil data instantly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Doesn't open
- 🐛 Incompatible with newer iOS
- 🐛 Font color difficult to read
- 🐛 Map data inaccurate

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Nature's Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/natures-notebook/id1463430668)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


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