Forest Insect Pests vs Nature's Notebook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Forest Insect Pests
Identify common North American tree pests with detailed photos and life cycle information. This educational tool aids foresters and landscapers in recognizing insect damage and finding further resources.
- Pest identification photos
- Life cycle information
- Damage recognition
- Resource links
- North American focus
Read full descriptionHide full description
The photos present in this App are intended to help foresters, urban landscaping employees, or others working with trees recognize some of the common pest insects affecting trees in North America and understand their life cycles and how they damage trees. The information was drawn from book, websites, factsheets, and some original literature. This App is not a guide for specialists. In many groups, such as the bark beetles and aphids, confirmation of species identity requires attention to details not visible in photos with comparisons to other similar species and use of keys. Sources for further information (websites and articles) are given at the bottom of each species' page.
Nature's Notebook
Record observations of plant and animal life cycles, such as flowering and migration. Mark observation sites, create species lists, and log seasonal changes in nature.
- Record plant and animal life cycle events
- Mark observation sites
- Create species lists
- Log seasonal observations
- Citizen science program
Read full descriptionHide full description
Nature's Notebook is a program for observing and recording plant and animal life cycle events, like flowering and bird migration. Use this app to mark your sites, create a list of plants and animals, and going into the field to record observations throughout the seasons. Find out more at www.usanpn.org/nn/guidelines.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Forest Insect Pests at 4.5 against Nature's Notebook's 3.1. Nature's Notebook's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 45 months) and ratings volume (26 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Forest Insect Pests holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nature's Notebook has 26 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Forest Insect Pests ships an update every 45 months, Nature's Notebook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Forest Insect Pests | Nature's Notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | 3.1 (26 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 26 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 45 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 586 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charles T. Bargeron | National Phenology Network |
Customer experience
Forest Insect Pests
Nature's Notebook
In-app purchases
Forest Insect Pests
No in-app purchases
Nature's Notebook
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Forest Insect Pests free?
Is Nature's Notebook free?
Which has better reviews, Forest Insect Pests or Nature's Notebook?
Do Forest Insect Pests or Nature's Notebook have ads?
Which is updated more often, Forest Insect Pests or Nature's Notebook?
Other comparisons
