Comparison

Birdfy vs RUN

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

Head to head
About

Birdfy

Monitor your backyard for feathered visitors with real-time live streaming and automatic video capture of bird activity. Organize your recordings by species, share your discoveries with a global community, and even track the entire nesting and hatching process.

Highlights
  • Real-time bird visitor tracking
  • Automatic video capture of bird moments
  • Categorized video clips by bird species
  • Community sharing of bird observations
  • Nesting and hatching process tracking
  • AI-powered bird and animal identification
Features
Read full description

The Bird Side of Life 1. Live Stream: Real-time Bird Visitor Tracking - View the device's live feed anytime, anywhere to track birds or animals visiting your backyard. 2. Moment Auto-Capture: Automatically Record Wonderful Moments - The device automatically records short video clips when it detects birds or other creatures, saving key moments without manual operation. You can view these directly within the app. 3. Categorized Collection: Manage Wonderful Clips by Bird Species - Sort videos by bird species based on recognition results or your manual selection, allowing you to easily find, manage, and browse your collected video content. 4. Community Sharing: Explore Other Users' Fascinating Observations - Share or browse wonderful content of bird visits with users worldwide. Enjoy an immersive video stream experience that supports Browse by bird species, expanding your birdwatching horizons. 5. Bird Nesting & Hatching Process Tracking (for Birdhouse Devices) - Automatically identify and record the complete process of birds from nest building, laying eggs, hatching, to fledging. The process is automatically archived by stages, allowing you to browse the entire lifecycle on a timeline. Finally, a merged video is generated, fully presenting the precious process of nesting and raising young. 6. Cloud Services (Optional Paid Premium Features) - AI Recognition Cloud Service: When enabled, it supports more intelligent video analysis and content organization, including: * Accurate Identification: 6000+ bird/animal identification, accurately recognizing species like birds, squirrels, and other visiting animals in your device's footage. * Highlights: Automatically generates daily highlights, selecting the most exciting moments of the day. * Monthly/Annual Recap: The system organizes and generates monthly and annual highlight video compilations for easy review and saving. * Birdfy Data: Records bird visit times, frequency, and species, generating data reports. * Smart Moment List Filtering: Supports quick filtering of interesting bird videos by recognition results, improving Browse efficiency. - MVR Cloud Service * Standard recording is 20 seconds. Subscribing provides longer moment recording times (30 seconds+) and longer moment preservation times. - Collection Cloud Service * Standard users have only 5GB of collection memory. Subscribing increases collection memory to 20GB+.

About

RUN

Control and optimize your automated chicken coop door. Set custom timers or sync with sunrise for automatic opening and closing. Monitor door status for flock safety and convenience.

Highlights
  • Configure door opening/closing
  • Set custom timers
  • Sync with sunrise
  • Built-in GPS feature
  • Overview of door statuses
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Enhance the functionality of your RUN-CHICKEN door with our sophisticated mobile app, designed for discerning poultry keepers. This application grants users the ability to configure the door’s opening and closing mechanisms, either by setting specific timers or synchronizing with natural events such as sunrise, with a built-in GPS Feature. In addition, the app provides overview of door statuses. With a secure connection and user-friendly interface, the RUN-CHICKEN Door Controller App ensures both optimal performance and the utmost safety for your flock. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Birdfy4 screens
RUN4 screens

Verdict

The call

Birdfy and RUN both sit at 4.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 49% of Birdfy's written reviews are positive against 21% of RUN's. Birdfy also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (3.8K vs 1.2K). RUN's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ads 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. Birdfy sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month and RUN sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Birdfy against 4.3 for RUN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.8K and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Birdfy's written reviews are positive against 21% of RUN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Birdfy ships an update every 10 days, RUN every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Birdfy versus RUN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBirdfyRUN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (3.8K ratings)4.3 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.9% of reviews — better21.4% of reviews
Number of ratings3.8K — better1.2K
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size282 MB116 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNETVUE, INC.RUN-TIGER

Customer experience

Birdfy

All ratings3,773 ratings
Positive76.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews801 reviews
Positive48.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative43.2%

RUN

All ratings968 ratings
Positive78.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative18.1%
Written reviews117 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative71.8%

User reviews

Birdfy

From 3.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Intuitive app layout
  • 🎥 Great video quality
  • 🐦 Excellent for bird watching
  • 💡 Useful community features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔌 Connectivity issues
  • 🤖 Inconsistent bird identification
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate/use
  • 💰 Paywall for advanced features

RUN

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy installation and setup (for some)
  • 👍 Reliable operation (for some)
  • 👍 Keeps chickens safe at night
  • 👍 Convenient automatic open/close
  • 👍 Works with older models (with workaround)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Bluetooth connection problems
  • 🐛 App updates breaking functionality
  • 🐛 Incompatibility with older/non-Bluetooth models
  • 🐛 Loss of manual control/buttons

Bugs and requests

Birdfy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to delete devices
  • Unreliable live view and video uploads
  • Unexpected app logout and account deletion

Requested features

5 requests
  • Batch editing for misidentified birds
  • Favorites/frequently spotted section
  • Landscape mode support
  • Customizable notification sounds
  • Motion detection sensitivity adjustments

RUN

Reported bugs

27 issues
  • Bluetooth not connecting
  • App not detecting doors after update
  • Door resets and stays open after update
  • Non-Bluetooth doors incompatible with new app
  • App locks up and doesn't respond
Show 22 more
  • Door doesn't close automatically
  • App requires Bluetooth for non-Bluetooth models
  • Door closing in the middle of the day
  • App not taking chosen settings
  • App unusable for older doors after update
  • Forcing Bluetooth for T50, disabling light sensor programming
  • Cannot program timer after battery replacement
  • App crashes on opening
  • Door malfunctions after app installation
  • App disconnects from Bluetooth frequently
  • App requires email/account login
  • New app doesn't have same functionality as old app
  • GPS mode not working, door opens randomly at night
  • App doesn't show door status
  • Cannot manually open/close door via app
  • App doesn't work to change settings
  • App doesn't work with iOS 26
  • Door stops working
  • App requires phone to be next to device for function
  • Firmware updates break door
  • App sends ads despite being turned off
  • Newer models lack physical buttons for manual operation

Requested features

12 requests
  • Bring back physical buttons
  • Allow programming without internet
  • Add remote open/close functionality
  • Show door status (open/closed/stuck)
  • Improve app stability
Show 7 more
  • Add dark mode
  • Allow programming older models easily
  • Add option to delay closing
  • Remove ads from app
  • Improve customer support responsiveness
  • Add WiFi connectivity option
  • Allow programming from website

In-app purchases

17 purchases

Birdfy

Subscriptions15
  • Collection Storage Basic mo.$2.391 Month
  • MVR - Basic - Monthly$2.391 Month
  • MVR - Plus - Monthly$3.591 Month
Show 12 more
  • Collection Storage Plus mo.$4.691 Month
  • Hummingbird Recognition mo.$4.691 Month
  • Bird Recognition Basic mo.$5.891 Month
  • Collection Storage Pro mo.$7.091 Month
  • MVR - Pro - Monthly$7.091 Month
  • Collection Storage Basic ann.$23.491 Year
  • MVR - Basic - Annual$23.491 Year
  • MVR - Plus - Annual$35.491 Year
  • Hummingbird Recognition ann.$45.991 Year
  • Collection Storage Plus ann.$46.951 Year
  • Bird Recognition Basic ann.$57.991 Year
  • Collection Storage Pro ann.$70.991 Year
One-time2
  • Hummingbird Reco. Lifetime$85.99
  • Bird Recognition Lifetime Plan$99.99
2 purchases

RUN

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium - Yearly1 Month trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Birdfy free?
Birdfy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RUN free?
RUN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Birdfy or RUN?
RUN is rated higher. Birdfy averages 4.1 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while RUN averages 4.3 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Birdfy or RUN have ads?
Neither Birdfy nor RUN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Birdfy or RUN?
Birdfy ships an update every 10 days, and RUN every 3 weeks. Most recently, Birdfy was updated on October 25, 2026 and RUN on October 25, 2026.

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