# Bird Codes vs Raptor ID

The clearest difference is ads: Bird Codes at none against Raptor ID's shown. Bird Codes also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Bird Codes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 98 and 50 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Bird Codes's written reviews are positive against 84% of Raptor ID's.

Bird Codes ships an update every 3 months, Raptor ID every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bird Codes | Raptor ID |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bird-codes/id500496362/reviews)** | [4.5 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raptor-id/id1033944000/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **98** | 50 |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 83.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 4 MB | 766 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nemesis Code](https://appshunter.io/developer/500496365) | [HawkWatch International](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033943999) |

## What reviewers say

### Bird Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bird-codes/id500496362)

Quickly look up and learn four-letter alpha codes for bird species. This reference tool helps birders speed up field notes and eBird checklist entries by providing a fast way to find abbreviations used in ornithology.

**Highlights:** Search by bird name, Search by alpha code, Lookup for 2078 species, Uses Pyle and DeSante (2003) system, Speed up field notes, Faster eBird checklist entry

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick access to codes
- ✅ Functional for purpose
- 💡 Useful for birders
- 👍 Simple and handy

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Outdated information
- 🔄 Needs regular updates
- 🐌 Slow to respond
- 📉 Woefully behind times
- ❓ Useless if not updated

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open on latest iPhone
- Stutters and slow to respond

**Requested features**

- Update app regularly
- Add new US birds (vagrants)
- Reflect taxonomic splits/lumps/renames
- Display species in conflict when invalid code entered
- Update for larger screens


### Raptor ID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raptor-id/id1033944000)

This app provides expert-level identification for North America's diurnal raptors. It features nearly 1000 annotated photos and videos to help users identify birds in flight, catering to both beginners and experienced birdwatchers.

**Highlights:** 1000+ annotated photos, Identification videos in flight, Range maps with eBird links, Species vocalizations, Expert Q&A forum

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bird Codes free?

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

### Is Raptor ID free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bird Codes or Raptor ID?

Bird Codes is rated higher. Bird Codes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while Raptor ID averages 4.5 from 50 ratings.

### Do Bird Codes or Raptor ID have ads?

Raptor ID shows ads; Bird Codes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bird Codes or Raptor ID?

Bird Codes ships an update every 3 months, and Raptor ID every 5 months. Most recently, Bird Codes was updated on October 20, 2026 and Raptor ID on October 21, 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.*