Ducks Unlimited vs The Retrieve
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ducks Unlimited
This app is your essential companion for waterfowl hunting season. It provides tools for tracking migrations, logging hunts, identifying species, and staying informed about conservation efforts. Plan your hunts and connect with the community.
- Migration Map with real-time reports
- Hunting tools (sunrise/sunset, weather)
- Waterfowler's Journal for logging hunts
- Waterfowl species identification
- DU Events finder
- Stream DU media
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The official Ducks Unlimited App - your ultimate companion for waterfowl season. Track migrations, log hunts, identify species, and stay connected with DU conservation efforts across North America. Whether you’re scouting tomorrow’s blind or planning your next DU event, the DU App puts every tool you need right at your fingertips. Key Features: - Migration Map: View reports from DU biologists, field editors, and other hunters in real time - plus submit your own. - Hunting Tools: Get sunrise/sunset data, weather, snow cover, and season info for your location. - Waterfowler’s Journal: Log hunts, track conditions, record harvests by species, and relive your best days afield. - Waterfowl ID: Browse photos, calls, and detailed info on North America’s most popular duck and goose species. - DU Events: Find and register for local and national Ducks Unlimited events near you. - DU Media: Stream DU TV, DU Films, and podcasts anytime, anywhere. - Create a free My DU profile for exclusive features and member content. Join the community that conserves wetlands and waterfowl for future generations. Download the DU App today and take Ducks Unlimited wherever your next hunt leads.
The Retrieve
Log and track all your dog's training sessions and hunts. Monitor retrieve rates, performance trends, and health metrics like weight and diet. Organize your memories with custom hashtags and share moments with beautiful session summaries.
- Log training sessions with notes
- Record hunts with results
- Search sessions by keyword/hashtag
- Organize with custom hashtags
- Session summaries with photos/stats
- Track retrieve rates and trends
- Manage multiple dogs and health logs
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Remember every moment in the pursuit of the retrieve. Every retriever lives for the moment the bird falls and the retrieve begins. The Retrieve helps you remember the hunts, the training, and the dogs that made those moments unforgettable. Log every training session, record every hunt, and see your dog improve over time with clear, simple tracking. Features: Log training sessions with notes, weather, and duration Record hunts with results and conditions Search your sessions instantly by keyword or hashtag Organize sessions with custom hashtags like #mallard or #AKC Beautiful session summaries with photos, stats, and notes at a glance Share training and hunt moments with the perfect photo Weekly training recap notifications to keep you on track Track retrieve rates and performance trends Track your dog's health with weight logs, diet tracking, and vaccine reminders Manage multiple dogs View your dog's full history in one place Built for serious handlers who want better insight into their dog's progress.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: The Retrieve at 5.0 against Ducks Unlimited's 3.4. The Retrieve also leads on ads (none vs shown). Ducks Unlimited's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (141 vs 2). On price, update cadence, monetization model 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. The Retrieve sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ducks Unlimited asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Retrieve holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ducks Unlimited has 141 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ducks Unlimited | The Retrieve |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (141 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 141 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ducks Unlimited, Inc. | Samantha Bohlman |
Customer experience
Ducks Unlimited
The Retrieve
Bugs and requests
Ducks Unlimited
Reported bugs
37 issues- Bird ID doesn't work for many species
- Sunrise feature is lackluster
- Log book moved to the internet is not user friendly
- Cannot write a report (button won't click)
- Journal is 'under construction' and unusable
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- Lost all journal entries after deletion
- Lost harvest information after logging out/in
- Journal appears to have lost data
- Location for sunset erased
- Takes forever to load any page
- Error occurred while communicating with the server
- Log doesn't work (linked to account but unusable)
- Buttons and links frequently don't work
- Cannot view past journal entries
- Journal wouldn't accept new hunt information
- Cannot delete journal entries
- Journal is glitchy, group count shows 0
- App crashes when opening
- Migration map doesn't work, reports don't load, crashes continuously
- Cannot post migration reports
- Cannot look at the map
- App crashes when checking migration reports
- App crashes when choosing a bird to ID
- Cannot use duck ID reference without crashing
- App crashes when opening
- App crashes as soon as I open it
- Audio doesn't work
- Sunrise/Set times not available
- Audio doesn't work in duck ID section
- Audio doesn't work
- Journal has issues with multiple bird species
- Third bird entered didn't register, fourth used second species' data
- Migration map always crashes on iPads and iPhones
- Journal not updated for current season
- App doesn't work on new iOS
- WMA option won't scroll down to Tennessee
- Audio doesn't work
Requested features
17 requests- Add YouTube to DuckDuckGo
- Add swan to species list
- Make membership card available in Apple Wallet
- Add more Canadian content (seasons, bag limits)
- Sync reports
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- Update flyway migration reports
- Reproduction rates estimation
- Projected food plot outlooks
- Add DU store in app
- Allow searching by date range
- Sort reports by distance from location
- Specify distance from city/town or current location for reports
- Add more reports for season numbers (species count)
- Add 2016-17 Journal update
- Add notification for local events
- Divide bird tracking by species taken that year
- Add Alaska to locations page
The Retrieve
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ducks Unlimited
No in-app purchases
The Retrieve
- The Retrieve: Premium Upgrade$4.99
Questions
Is Ducks Unlimited free?
Is The Retrieve free?
Which has better reviews, Ducks Unlimited or The Retrieve?
Do Ducks Unlimited or The Retrieve have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ducks Unlimited or The Retrieve?
Other comparisons
