Forest Insect Pests vs iNaturalist
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
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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.
iNaturalist
Identify plants, animals, and fungi using your camera or imported photos. Get AI-powered species suggestions and connect with a global community of nature enthusiasts to learn more about the natural world and contribute to scientific conservation efforts.
- AI species identification
- Record species observations
- Contribute to scientific data
- Explore biodiversity
- Connect with nature enthusiasts
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Your photos of plants, animals, fungi, and more can help protect nature all around the world. iNaturalist is free, nonprofit, and community-powered. iNaturalist helps millions of people learn about and document the nature around them. Point your camera at plants, animals, and fungi to get instant identification suggestions, then share your photos or sound recordings as an "observation." Then, see your observation get reviewed by a global community of knowledgeable nature-lovers to turn it into a useful data point for science and conservation efforts. Your everyday moments of curiosity can directly contribute to protecting nature, and you don't need any previous experience or knowledge to get started. iNaturalist is a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to nature and advancing biodiversity science and conservation, and is freely available thanks to the generous support of our community. KEY FEATURES • Identify species from anywhere in the world • Contribute to science by sharing your observations • Keep a record of species you see • Explore and protect biodiversity • Connect with and learn from other nature enthusiasts
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Forest Insect Pests at 4.8 against iNaturalist's 4.1. iNaturalist's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 45 months) and ratings volume (715 vs 4). 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, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNaturalist has 715 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Forest Insect Pests ships an update every 45 months, iNaturalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Forest Insect Pests | iNaturalist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 4.1 (715 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 48.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 715 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 45 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #114 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 586 MB | 220 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charles T. Bargeron | iNaturalist |
Customer experience
Forest Insect Pests
iNaturalist
Bugs and requests
Forest Insect Pests
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
iNaturalist
Reported bugs
5 issues- App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips
- Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu
- Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time
- Map showing incorrect observation locations
- Crashes and performance issues on some devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to type in address/coordinates for location
- Option to add observations to projects during upload
- Batch editing/uploading of observations
- More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory)
- Bring back colored observation markers on map
In-app purchases
Forest Insect Pests
No in-app purchases
iNaturalist
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Forest Insect Pests free?
Is iNaturalist free?
Which has better reviews, Forest Insect Pests or iNaturalist?
Do Forest Insect Pests or iNaturalist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Forest Insect Pests or iNaturalist?
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