# BirdingApp. vs Roost Social

The clearest difference is ads: BirdingApp. at none against Roost Social's shown. BirdingApp. also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Roost Social's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 35). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BirdingApp. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 3 months and Roost Social sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for BirdingApp. against 4.8 for Roost Social. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roost Social has 2.4K ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 83% and 84% positive.

BirdingApp. ships an update fortnightly, Roost Social every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BirdingApp. | Roost Social |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdingapp/id6465455152/reviews)** | [4.8 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roost-social-penpal-and-friends/id6746680855/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 35 | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **83.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 233 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Epter LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706562832) | [Logan Mendelsohn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817850261) |

## What reviewers say

### BirdingApp.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdingapp/id6465455152)

Connect with fellow birdwatchers, organize your birding activities, and stay updated on sightings. Discover local guides, plan routes, and receive real-time alerts for rare birds. Engage in friendly competition and challenges.

**Highlights:** Create user profiles and connect with friends, Location-based chat for local sightings, Real-time rare bird alerts, Plan birding routes and trips, Bird quizzes and leaderboards, Offline chat and location sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter - 3 Months, renewing | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Supporter - 1 Year, renewing | $24.99 | per year |
| Supporter - 1 Year only | $24.99 | one-time |


### Roost Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roost-social-penpal-and-friends/id6746680855)

Send messages via virtual pigeons that fly across a real map to your friends. Collect and train different bird species to speed up deliveries. Enjoy a social experience focused on your connections, not an endless feed.

**Highlights:** Asynchronous pigeon messaging, Real-time bird flight tracking, Collect and train various bird species, Mini-games to boost bird speed, Friend-focused social experience, Weekly rewards and rotating events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Supporter | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual Supporter Tier | $34.99 | per year |
| 100 Berries | $0.99 | one-time |
| $0.99 Bird | $0.99 | one-time |
| $1.99 Bird | $1.99 | one-time |
| $2.99 Bird | $2.99 | one-time |
| 550 berries | $4.99 | one-time |
| Philippine Eagle | $4.99 | one-time |
| $4.99 Bird | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1150 Berries | $9.99 | one-time |
| $9.99 Bird | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Berries | $19.99 | one-time |
| $19.99 Bird | $19.99 | one-time |
| Supporter Pass | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BirdingApp. free?

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

### Is Roost Social free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BirdingApp. or Roost Social?

BirdingApp. is rated higher. BirdingApp. averages 4.9 out of 5 from 35 ratings, while Roost Social averages 4.8 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do BirdingApp. or Roost Social have ads?

Roost Social shows ads; BirdingApp. does not.

### Which is updated more often, BirdingApp. or Roost Social?

BirdingApp. ships an update fortnightly, and Roost Social every 3 days. Most recently, BirdingApp. was updated on October 24, 2026 and Roost Social on October 28, 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.*