Comparison

Natparks vs BearAware

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Natparks

Plan your National Park adventures with up-to-date information and personalized tips. Track your past visits, earn achievements in your digital passport, and get answers to your park-related questions from an AI Ranger.

Highlights
  • National Park trip planning
  • Latest park info and tips
  • Record past trips
  • AI Ranger for questions
  • Digital passport with achievements
  • Track hikes, viewpoints, photos
Features
Read full description

Plan your next National Park trip with the latest park info and tip, create checklists and itineraries, then capture it all in your digital passport. Our award-winning AI Trip Planner can plan the perfect park trip personalized for you in seconds.

About

BearAware

This community-powered map helps outdoor enthusiasts stay informed about recent bear activity. Share and view real-time sightings to make safer decisions in bear country. The app works offline, allowing you to log observations even in remote locations.

Highlights
  • Live community bear sighting map
  • Offline recording of sightings
  • Fast and simple reporting
  • In-app bear safety guide
  • Privacy-focused anonymous accounts
Features
Read full description

The ultimate safety companion for hikers, campers, anglers, and anyone living or recreating in bear country. The BearAware is a community-powered map that helps you stay aware of recent bear activity to make smarter, safer decisions outdoors. Share and view sightings in real-time. By contributing your own observations, you help create a safer environment for both people and bears. Designed for the real world, our app works seamlessly offline, allowing you to log a sighting the moment it happens, no matter how remote your location. When you're back in cell range, your report automatically syncs to the community map. Key Features: • Live Community Map: See pins of recent grizzly sightings reported by a community of outdoor enthusiasts and residents. Know what's happening in your area before you head out. • Instant Offline Recording: No signal? No problem. The app saves your sighting with precise GPS data and uploads it automatically once you regain service. • Simple & Fast Reporting: Quickly log the date, time, location, and an optional comment with just a few taps. • Essential Bear Safety Guide: Brush up on crucial safety protocols and learn how to be "Bear Aware" with our easy-to-access in-app guide. • Privacy-Focused Community: We use anonymous accounts to protect your identity while allowing you to contribute valuable information to keep the community safe.

Screenshots

Natparks4 screens
BearAware4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Natparks at none against BearAware's shown. Natparks also leads on ratings volume (138 vs 4) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). BearAware's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). On price and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BearAware holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Natparks has 138 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Natparks's written reviews are positive against 100% of BearAware's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Natparks ships an update every 10 days, BearAware every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Natparks versus BearAware: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNatparksBearAware
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (138 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings138 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB14 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperNatparks CommunitySvetlana Morozov

Customer experience

Natparks

All ratings139 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive84.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative6.1%

BearAware

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Natparks

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes when creating trip plans
  • App closes unexpectedly during trip research/booking
  • Confusing notifications from beta test app

Requested features

2 requests
  • Allow reordering of pictures without deleting
  • Added features

BearAware

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Natparks

No in-app purchases

None

BearAware

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Natparks free?
Natparks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BearAware free?
BearAware is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Natparks or BearAware?
BearAware is rated higher. Natparks averages 4.7 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while BearAware averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Natparks or BearAware have ads?
BearAware shows ads; Natparks does not.
Which is updated more often, Natparks or BearAware?
Natparks ships an update every 10 days, and BearAware every 5 weeks. Most recently, Natparks was updated on October 22, 2026 and BearAware on October 24, 2026.

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