iNaturalist Classic vs Aussie Bird Count
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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
Aussie Bird Count
Participate in a nationwide citizen science event by counting local birds. Spend 20 minutes observing and recording avian species in your chosen outdoor location. The app assists with bird identification and contributes valuable data to conservation efforts.
- Citizen science bird counting
- Local bird observation
- Bird identification tool
- Data contribution to conservation
- Outdoor nature connection
Read full descriptionHide full description
Join the Aussie Bird Count! BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count is one of Australia’s biggest citizen science events. Every October, join tens of thousands of Australians of all ages and experiences in getting outdoors and having fun getting to know your local birds – while helping BirdLife Australia collect information about the birds around us. To take part, register as a counter at aussiebirdcount.org.au and download the Aussie Bird Count app. Then, during the Count, simply spend 20 minutes at a time watching, counting and recording the birds you see in the app. You can count from anywhere: from home, at school, in your backyard or a nearby park or any outdoor space of your choosing. Each count takes just 20 minutes, and it’s a great excuse to get outdoors and connect with nature. The app even has a handy built-in Bird Finder tool to help you identify birds you’re unsure of.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: iNaturalist Classic at 82% against Aussie Bird Count's 50%. iNaturalist Classic also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (4.7K vs 2). Aussie Bird Count's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Aussie Bird Count holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist Classic has 4.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of iNaturalist Classic's written reviews are positive against 50% of Aussie Bird Count's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iNaturalist Classic ships an update every 5 weeks, Aussie Bird Count every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iNaturalist Classic | Aussie Bird Count |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (4.7K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.6% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.7K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | iNaturalist | BirdLife Australia Ltd. |
Customer experience
iNaturalist Classic
Aussie Bird Count
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
Aussie Bird Count
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iNaturalist Classic
No in-app purchases
Aussie Bird Count
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iNaturalist Classic free?
Is Aussie Bird Count free?
Which has better reviews, iNaturalist Classic or Aussie Bird Count?
Do iNaturalist Classic or Aussie Bird Count have ads?
Which is updated more often, iNaturalist Classic or Aussie Bird Count?
Other comparisons
