iNaturalist Classic vs GLOBE Observer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
GLOBE Observer
Contribute to real scientific research by making environmental observations. Document clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees using your mobile device. Your data supports scientists worldwide, including NASA and NOAA.
- Make environmental observations
- Document clouds
- Map mosquito habitats
- Record land cover
- Measure tree height
- Contribute to scientific research
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The GLOBE Observer app enables you to make observations of your environment. GLOBE Observer is the app of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program. The GLOBE Program is an international science and education program that provides students and people of all ages worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. By using the GLOBE Observer app, you contribute scientific data to your community, students and scientists worldwide, including researchers at NASA, NOAA, and other science research institutions. GLOBE Observer allows all users to contribute observations of clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees. Trained and certified users can also use the app to submit additional environmental measurements from all GLOBE protocols. GLOBE Clouds allows observers to make regular observations of Earth’s cloud cover and compare them to satellite observations. With GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper, users locate mosquito habitats, observe and identify mosquito larvae, and reduce the potential threat of mosquito borne disease. GLOBE Land Cover is designed to allow users to document what is on the land (trees, grass, buildings, etc.). GLOBE Trees asks users to estimate a tree’s height by taking pictures of trees with their device and answering a few questions. Additional capabilities may be added. Visit us at https://www.globe.gov and https://observer.globe.gov.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: iNaturalist Classic at 82% against GLOBE Observer's 34%. iNaturalist Classic also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (4.7K vs 91). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist Classic has 4.7K ratings behind it against 91, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of iNaturalist Classic's written reviews are positive against 34% of GLOBE Observer's.
iNaturalist Classic ships an update every 5 weeks, GLOBE Observer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iNaturalist Classic | GLOBE Observer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (4.7K ratings) — better | 3.1 (91 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.6% of reviews — better | 33.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.7K — better | 91 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | iNaturalist | NASA |
Customer experience
iNaturalist Classic
GLOBE Observer
User reviews
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
GLOBE Observer
From 91 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great for citizen science
- 💡 Educational and informative
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 👍 Meaningful environmental measurements
- 👍 Fun and engaging
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Login/update issues
- 🐛 Account creation problems
- 🐛 Observations not submitting
- 🐛 Poor UI/UX design
Bugs and requests
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
GLOBE Observer
Reported bugs
39 issues- Checking for updates loop
- 504 error on account creation
- Fails after step 5 in account creation
- Robot verification loop
- App crashes on opening
Show 34 moreShow fewer
- Observations not submitting (error exclamation mark)
- Interminable in-app required update
- Errors in data entry, observations not sending/deleting
- Invalid password errors
- Cloud observation chart images disappear
- No reply from support
- App doesn't open on iPhone
- Won't update
- Logged out, wrong password, account locked
- Data lost after system crash
- Cloud ID chart not loading properly
- Observations keep loading forever
- iPhone stuck on installing updates
- App crashes and never fully loads
- Can't get photos to upload
- User interface poorly designed
- No observations shown when there are
- No way to export data
- App is forever 'installing updates'
- Camera portion of data collection quit working
- No way to submit a report from 'Pictures'
- Compass won't calibrate
- Photo feature locks screen
- No button to take photo
- App crashes if location is not set
- Updates take too long
- Photo submission portal hopeless
- Native camera app has no prompts to submit photos
- 'Done' button does nothing
- 401 unknown error when sending reports
- App goes bonkers when attaching photo
- Screen flickers rapidly when attaching photo
- Cannot get out of camera within app
- Whirring wheel for update in progress for hours
Requested features
8 requests- Improve UI/UX design
- Add dark mode
- Better translation
- Notifications for satellite flyovers
- Integrate with WorldView or Google Earth
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- More explanation/examples for cloud types
- Export data in spreadsheet/GPS format
- Allow users to contribute design improvements
In-app purchases
iNaturalist Classic
No in-app purchases
GLOBE Observer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iNaturalist Classic free?
Is GLOBE Observer free?
Which has better reviews, iNaturalist Classic or GLOBE Observer?
Do iNaturalist Classic or GLOBE Observer have ads?
Which is updated more often, iNaturalist Classic or GLOBE Observer?
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