Band Codes vs Song Meter Configurator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Band Codes
Quickly access 4-letter codes used by bird banders for species identification. This reference tool also provides band sizes and important notes for banding specific birds, aiding in ornithological research.
- 4-letter species codes
- Band size lookup
- Banding notes
- Quick reference
- Ornithological research aid
Read full descriptionHide full description
Do you want to quickly find and learn the 4-letter codes which bird banders use to record each species? Do you need a quick reference to look up band sizes used for each species? The Band Codes app gives you quick access to the shorthand codes for the species names, as well as additional information such as band sizes and important notes regarding banding certain species. Bird banding is a common research technique to study migration timing and survival of birds. Birds are captured by a variety of methods and an aluminum band is attached to one of their legs. Each band has a unique number that allows researchers to learn about the birds movements and any physiological changes that may have occurred between the times it was captured. Note: If you are a birder, we suggest that you check out Bird Codes, which is more extensive, including all the species found in the area covered by the American Ornithologists Union. Banding birds is federally regulated, and only those trained and licensed as banders should attempt to catch and band birds.
Song Meter Configurator
Configure and monitor Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter recorders. This essential tool is designed for professionals and offers seamless management of SM5, SM5BAT, Mini, Mini Bat, and Micro devices for wildlife sound recording.
- Configure Song Meter recorders
- Check recorder status
- Support for SM5, SM5BAT
- Support for Mini, Mini Bat
- Support for Micro recorders
- Professional ecological tool
Read full descriptionHide full description
This app allows you to configure and check the status of Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter® recorders. Song Meter® SM5 / SM5BAT Recorders A must-have for professional ecologists, the SM5 and SM5BAT deliver unparalleled fidelity, battery longevity, and versatility. Song Meter® Mini / Mini Bat Recorders Compact and lightweight, the Mini and Mini Bat offer exceptional battery life in an easy-to-transport package, enabling deployment almost anywhere. Song Meter® Micro Recorders Ultracompact and economical, the Micro is designed to record audible wildlife and soundscapes at scale while keeping costs down. Learn more at wildlifeacoustics.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Song Meter Configurator at 100% against Band Codes's 50%. Song Meter Configurator also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 34 months) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). Band Codes's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, 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.
Song Meter Configurator holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Band Codes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Song Meter Configurator's.
Band Codes ships an update every 34 months, Song Meter Configurator every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Band Codes | Song Meter Configurator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) | 4.4 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 34 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 77 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nemesis Code | Wildlife Acoustics |
Customer experience
Band Codes
Song Meter Configurator
In-app purchases
Band Codes
No in-app purchases
Song Meter Configurator
No in-app purchases






