Comparison

iNaturalist Classic vs GLOBE Observer

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Identify species globally
  • Record species sightings
  • Contribute observations to science
  • Add observations to projects
  • Learn about biodiversity
  • Connect with nature enthusiasts
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Make environmental observations
  • Document clouds
  • Map mosquito habitats
  • Record land cover
  • Measure tree height
  • Contribute to scientific research
Features
Read full description

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

iNaturalist Classic2 screens
GLOBE Observer4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iNaturalist Classic versus GLOBE Observer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriNaturalist ClassicGLOBE Observer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.7K ratings) — better3.1 (91 ratings)
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews — better33.9% of reviews
Number of ratings4.7K — better91
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiNaturalistNASA

Customer experience

iNaturalist Classic

All ratings4,707 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews1,000 reviews
Positive81.6%
Neutral5.5%
Negative12.9%

GLOBE Observer

All ratings86 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative43.0%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive33.9%
Neutral18.6%
Negative47.5%

User reviews

iNaturalist Classic

From 4.7K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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 more
  • 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 more
  • More explanation/examples for cloud types
  • Export data in spreadsheet/GPS format
  • Allow users to contribute design improvements

In-app purchases

None

iNaturalist Classic

No in-app purchases

None

GLOBE Observer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iNaturalist Classic free?
iNaturalist Classic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GLOBE Observer free?
GLOBE Observer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iNaturalist Classic or GLOBE Observer?
iNaturalist Classic is rated higher. iNaturalist Classic averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while GLOBE Observer averages 3.1 from 91 ratings.
Do iNaturalist Classic or GLOBE Observer have ads?
Neither iNaturalist Classic nor GLOBE Observer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iNaturalist Classic or GLOBE Observer?
iNaturalist Classic ships an update every 5 weeks, and GLOBE Observer every 2 months. Most recently, iNaturalist Classic was updated on October 27, 2026 and GLOBE Observer on October 24, 2026.

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