# vTree vs Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector

The clearest difference is rating: Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector at 4.5 against vTree's 3.3. Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector also leads on monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months). vTree's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 140 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of vTree's written reviews are positive against 59% of Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector's.

vTree ships an update every 11 months, Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | vTree | Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vtree/id576191197/reviews) | **[4.5 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/echo-meter-touch-bat-detector/id693958125/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **140** |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **59.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 127 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Peterson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175417672) | [Wildlife Acoustics](https://appshunter.io/developer/605247214) |

## What reviewers say

### vTree

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vtree/id576191197)

Identify woody plants across North America with detailed fact sheets, thousands of images, and location-based filtering. Get expert help from "Dr. Dendro" for tricky identifications.

**Highlights:** 969 North American woody plants, Thousands of color images, Location-based species filtering, Search by keyword, Identify via attribute questions, Expert identification help

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive database
- 👍 Good for non-photo ID
- 👍 Informative descriptions
- 👍 Identifies location and altitude
- 👍 High-quality photos (when they load)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open
- 🐛 Downloads to 123% and freezes
- 🐛 Stuck on "downloading species"
- 🐛 Limited species offered

**Reported bugs**

- Eternally spinning “loading species” then crashes
- Won’t open, downloads to 123% then freezes
- Stuck “downloading species”
- Crashes when updating location off grid
- Missing photos

**Requested features**

- Allow offline use by downloading all fact sheets
- Update app for newer iPhone screen sizes
- Editable list of recently identified trees
- Search trees by leaf
- Break down database into regions/states


### Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/echo-meter-touch-bat-detector/id693958125)

This app works with a specialized hardware module to detect, record, and identify bats by their ultrasonic echolocation calls. It offers real-time listening, spectrogram visualization, and automatic species identification for outdoor enthusiasts, citizen scientists, and researchers.

**Highlights:** Listen to bat echolocation calls, View real-time spectrograms, Automatic bat species identification, Record full spectrum .wav files, Map bat recording locations, Transfer recordings to computer

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fascinating world of bats
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 💡 Identifies bat species
- 🔊 Amplifies bat sounds
- 🗺️ GPS tagging for recordings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires expensive add-on
- 😞 Misleading about hardware needs
- 🔌 Incompatible with newer iPhones
- 🐛 Missclassifications after updates
- 🐛 App won't open after update

**Reported bugs**

- App does not function without purchase
- No longer compatible with Apple phones
- App is nonfunctional after update
- App won't open after update
- Touchscreen is slow

**Requested features**

- Translate to Spanish
- Translate to German
- Improve identification with multiple bats
- Add Chilean bats
- Add Florida bats


## Frequently asked questions

### Is vTree free?

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

### Is Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector free?

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, vTree or Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector?

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector is rated higher. vTree averages 3.3 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector averages 4.5 from 140 ratings.

### Do vTree or Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector have ads?

Neither vTree nor Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, vTree or Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector?

vTree ships an update every 11 months, and Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector every 2 months. Most recently, vTree was updated on November 1, 2026 and Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector on November 1, 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.*