# SoilWeb vs Learn Bird Watching

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Learn Bird Watching at 91% against SoilWeb's 47%. Learn Bird Watching also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 8 months). SoilWeb's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn Bird Watching sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. SoilWeb asks for nothing beyond the download.

Learn Bird Watching holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn Bird Watching has 1.3K ratings behind it against 14, 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 91% of Learn Bird Watching's.

SoilWeb ships an update every 8 months, Learn Bird Watching every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SoilWeb | Learn Bird Watching |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soilweb/id354911787/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-bird-watchinglarkwire/id544499991/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 47.0% of reviews | **90.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of California, Davis](https://appshunter.io/developer/356519286) | [Larkwire](https://appshunter.io/developer/544141375) |

## 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


### Learn Bird Watching

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-bird-watchinglarkwire/id544499991)

Learn to identify birds by sound and sight with a game-based system. This app offers audio and visual courses created by experts to improve your birding skills, suitable for beginners and advanced enthusiasts alike.

**Highlights:** Game-based learning system, Identify birds by sound, Identify birds by sight, Expert-created courses, Suitable for all skill levels, Master birding by ear

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single Course Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| All Courses Annual | $44.99 | per year |
| All Courses Annual (Family) | $64.99 | per year |
| Bird Songs Core West (N. Am) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bird Songs Core East (N. Am) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Waterbirds Core (N. Am) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bird Songs Pro East (N. Am) | $24.99 | one-time |
| Bird Songs Pro West (N. Am) | $24.99 | one-time |
| Waterbirds songs/calls (N. Am) | $24.99 | one-time |
| Breeding Plumage East (N.Am.) | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning bird songs
- 🚀 Efficient learning process
- 💡 Customizable playlists and settings
- 🎮 Fun and engaging game-like format
- 🌟 Comprehensive coverage of bird species

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific birds in the app
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 📱 Not optimized for smaller screens

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to download sample content
- Repeating the same bird songs in succession
- Inconsistent progress tracking

**Requested features**

- Add bird song playback when selecting bird images
- Implement voice recognition for answering questions
- Include spectrograms for better visual learning
- Expand coverage to birds in other regions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SoilWeb free?

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

### Is Learn Bird Watching free?

Learn Bird Watching is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SoilWeb or Learn Bird Watching?

Learn Bird Watching is rated higher. SoilWeb averages 3.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Learn Bird Watching averages 4.8 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do SoilWeb or Learn Bird Watching have ads?

Neither SoilWeb nor Learn Bird Watching shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SoilWeb or Learn Bird Watching?

SoilWeb ships an update every 8 months, and Learn Bird Watching every 9 days. Most recently, SoilWeb was updated on October 4, 2026 and Learn Bird Watching on October 16, 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.*