SoilWeb vs iNaturalist Classic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
iNaturalist Classic
Record and identify species encounters with a simple interface. Contribute to scientific research and learn about biodiversity. Connect with other nature enthusiasts and explore the natural world.
- Identify species globally
- Record species sightings
- Contribute observations to science
- Add observations to projects
- Learn about biodiversity
- Connect with nature enthusiasts
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iNaturalist Classic is the original version of our app. For the best experience, including many new features and ongoing updates, we recommend using the new, redesigned iNaturalist app. iNaturalist Classic offers a simple interface to record encounters with biodiversity for people who are already familiar with iNaturalist. KEY FEATURES • Identify species from anywhere in the world (while online) • Keep a record of species you see • Contribute to science by sharing your observations • Add your observations manually to projects • Learn about biodiversity • Connect with and learn from other nature enthusiasts iNaturalist’s nonprofit mission is to connect people to nature and advance science and conservation. iNaturalist is freely available thanks to generous support from our community of donors. Explore and learn even more at https://www.inaturalist.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iNaturalist Classic at 4.6 against SoilWeb's 3.6. iNaturalist Classic also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 47%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 8 months). SoilWeb's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iNaturalist Classic holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist Classic has 4.7K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of SoilWeb's written reviews are positive against 82% of iNaturalist Classic's.
SoilWeb ships an update every 8 months, iNaturalist Classic every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SoilWeb | iNaturalist Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (15 ratings) | 4.6 (4.7K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.0% of reviews | 81.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 4.7K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | University of California, Davis | iNaturalist |
Customer experience
SoilWeb
iNaturalist Classic
User reviews
SoilWeb
From 15 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Extremely helpful app
- 👍 Great for soil science
- 👍 Useful for field work
- 👍 Intuitive data interface
- 👍 Provides soil data instantly
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Doesn't open
- 🐛 Incompatible with newer iOS
- 🐛 Font color difficult to read
- 🐛 Map data inaccurate
iNaturalist Classic
From 4.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helpful for identifying plants, animals, and fungi
- 🤝 Supportive community of experts
- 🌱 Contributes to citizen science and research
- 🔍 Accurate identification suggestions
- 🌐 Works well globally
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/sorting observations
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data sharing
- 🤖 Concerns about AI/ML identification accuracy
- 💬 Negative interactions with some community members
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- iPad version
- Log data points and notes on iPad
- Print reports from iPad app
iNaturalist Classic
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues or inability to create account
- Slow upload speeds or observation syncing
- Inconsistent performance between mobile and web versions
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to follow other users and see their observations
- More filtering and sorting options for observations
- Offline mode for taking photos and uploading later
- Easier location input for observations
- Private/personal project functionality
In-app purchases
SoilWeb
No in-app purchases
iNaturalist Classic
No in-app purchases









