# SOS Remote vs iNaturalist

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SOS Remote at 100% against iNaturalist's 49%. SOS Remote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1). iNaturalist's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (714 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SOS Remote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist has 714 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of SOS Remote's written reviews are positive against 49% of iNaturalist's.

SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SOS Remote | iNaturalist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-remote/id476665630/reviews)** | [4.1 (714 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inaturalist/id6475737561/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **714** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 48.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#70** |
| Size | 4 MB | 220 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NOAA Science On a Sphere](https://appshunter.io/developer/476665633) | [iNaturalist](https://appshunter.io/developer/421397031) |

## What reviewers say

### SOS Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-remote/id476665630)

Control a Science On a Sphere® system with your mobile device. Adjust sphere orientation, manage datasets, and enhance presentations with interactive features. Ideal for educational settings.

**Highlights:** Adjust sphere orientation, Control dataset playback, Load presentation playlists, Search and browse data catalog, View dataset descriptions, Create presentation playlists, Draw on and zoom datasets, Dynamically adjust dataset layers

**In-app purchases:** none


### iNaturalist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inaturalist/id6475737561)

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Identify plants, animals, and fungi using your camera or imported photos. Get AI-powered species suggestions and connect with a global community of nature enthusiasts to learn more about the natural world and contribute to scientific conservation efforts.

**Highlights:** AI species identification, Record species observations, Contribute to scientific data, Explore biodiversity, Connect with nature enthusiasts

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faster and more intuitive UI
- 👍 Improved features from website
- 💡 Batch upload and sorting options
- 🚀 Responsive and smooth performance
- 👍 Easier to navigate and use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with observation time and location
- 🔍 Difficulty finding advanced editing options
- 🔍 Overly complex UI for basic tasks
- 🔍 Removal of useful features like map view
- 🔍 Too much reliance on AI identification

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips
- Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu
- Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time
- Map showing incorrect observation locations
- Crashes and performance issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to type in address/coordinates for location
- Option to add observations to projects during upload
- Batch editing/uploading of observations
- More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory)
- Bring back colored observation markers on map


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SOS Remote free?

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

### Is iNaturalist free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SOS Remote or iNaturalist?

SOS Remote is rated higher. SOS Remote averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while iNaturalist averages 4.1 from 714 ratings.

### Do SOS Remote or iNaturalist have ads?

Neither SOS Remote nor iNaturalist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SOS Remote or iNaturalist?

SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, and iNaturalist fortnightly. Most recently, SOS Remote was updated on October 23, 2026 and iNaturalist on October 27, 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.*