# Birdfy vs NeedlePointer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NeedlePointer at 100% against Birdfy's 48%. NeedlePointer also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1). Birdfy's advantage is ratings volume (3.6K vs 8). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birdfy sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month and NeedlePointer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

NeedlePointer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Birdfy has 3.6K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Birdfy's written reviews are positive against 100% of NeedlePointer's.

Birdfy ships an update every 10 days, NeedlePointer weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Birdfy | NeedlePointer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220/reviews) | **[4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/needlepointer/id6757410129/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 279 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NETVUE, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530898976) | [Samuel Carrara](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866734362) |

## What reviewers say

### Birdfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Collection Storage Basic mo. | $2.39 | per month |
| MVR - Basic - Monthly | $2.39 | per month |
| MVR - Plus - Monthly | $3.59 | per month |
| Collection Storage Plus mo. | $4.69 | per month |
| Hummingbird Recognition mo. | $4.69 | per month |
| Bird Recognition Basic mo. | $5.89 | per month |
| Collection Storage Pro mo. | $7.09 | per month |
| MVR - Pro - Monthly | $7.09 | per month |
| Collection Storage Basic ann. | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Basic - Annual | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Plus - Annual | $35.49 | per year |
| Hummingbird Recognition ann. | $45.99 | per year |
| Collection Storage Plus ann. | $46.95 | per year |
| Bird Recognition Basic ann. | $57.99 | per year |
| Collection Storage Pro ann. | $70.99 | per year |
| Hummingbird Reco. Lifetime | $85.99 | one-time |
| Bird Recognition Lifetime Plan | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete devices
- Unreliable live view and video uploads
- Unexpected app logout and account deletion

**Requested features**

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


### NeedlePointer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/needlepointer/id6757410129)

This utility app helps users track and manage needle points. It offers a simple interface for recording and organizing point data, with options for advanced editing. Ideal for users who need precise point management.

**Highlights:** Needle point tracking, Point data recording, Point organization, Advanced editing options, Simple interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Editor Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Birdfy free?

Birdfy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NeedlePointer free?

NeedlePointer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Birdfy or NeedlePointer?

NeedlePointer is rated higher. Birdfy averages 4.1 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while NeedlePointer averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.

### Do Birdfy or NeedlePointer have ads?

Neither Birdfy nor NeedlePointer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Birdfy or NeedlePointer?

Birdfy ships an update every 10 days, and NeedlePointer weekly. Most recently, Birdfy was updated on October 12, 2026 and NeedlePointer on September 26, 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.*