# Band Codes vs ABA/AOU Bird Codes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ABA/AOU Bird Codes at 100% against Band Codes's 50%. ABA/AOU Bird Codes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 34 months). Band Codes's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Band Codes is free to download; ABA/AOU Bird Codes costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ABA/AOU Bird Codes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Band Codes's written reviews are positive against 100% of ABA/AOU Bird Codes's.

Band Codes ships an update every 34 months, ABA/AOU Bird Codes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Band Codes | ABA/AOU Bird Codes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/band-codes/id509221314/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abaaou-bird-codes/id1523235152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 34 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 14 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nemesis Code](https://appshunter.io/developer/500496365) | [Schechter Natural History LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1489836176) |

## What reviewers say

### Band Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/band-codes/id509221314)

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.

**Highlights:** 4-letter species codes, Band size lookup, Banding notes, Quick reference, Ornithological research aid

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ABA/AOU Bird Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abaaou-bird-codes/id1523235152)

This app provides a quick reference for ornithological bird codes, used in data collection and field notes. It allows users to search and sort by common name, scientific name, or code, and toggle between ABA and AOU bird lists. Includes USGS species numbers and banding sizes.

**Highlights:** Quick bird code lookup, Sort by common/scientific name or code, Toggle ABA/AOU bird lists, USGS Species Numbers, Banding Sizes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Band Codes free?

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

### Is ABA/AOU Bird Codes free?

ABA/AOU Bird Codes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Band Codes or ABA/AOU Bird Codes?

ABA/AOU Bird Codes is rated higher. Band Codes averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while ABA/AOU Bird Codes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Band Codes or ABA/AOU Bird Codes have ads?

Neither Band Codes nor ABA/AOU Bird Codes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Band Codes or ABA/AOU Bird Codes?

Band Codes ships an update every 34 months, and ABA/AOU Bird Codes every 3 months. Most recently, Band Codes was updated on September 25, 2026 and ABA/AOU Bird Codes on October 14, 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.*