Comparison

iNaturalist vs MapTap.gg

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

Head to head
About

iNaturalist

Identify plants, animals, and fungi using your camera or imported photos. Get AI-powered species suggestions and connect with a global community of nature enthusiasts to learn more about the natural world and contribute to scientific conservation efforts.

Highlights
  • AI species identification
  • Record species observations
  • Contribute to scientific data
  • Explore biodiversity
  • Connect with nature enthusiasts
Currently charting
Read full description

Your photos of plants, animals, fungi, and more can help protect nature all around the world. iNaturalist is free, nonprofit, and community-powered. iNaturalist helps millions of people learn about and document the nature around them. Point your camera at plants, animals, and fungi to get instant identification suggestions, then share your photos or sound recordings as an "observation." Then, see your observation get reviewed by a global community of knowledgeable nature-lovers to turn it into a useful data point for science and conservation efforts. Your everyday moments of curiosity can directly contribute to protecting nature, and you don't need any previous experience or knowledge to get started. iNaturalist is a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to nature and advancing biodiversity science and conservation, and is freely available thanks to the generous support of our community. KEY FEATURES • Identify species from anywhere in the world • Contribute to science by sharing your observations • Keep a record of species you see • Explore and protect biodiversity • Connect with and learn from other nature enthusiasts

About

MapTap.gg

Explore world geography daily with a game that connects 5 new locations to historical events. Learn about unexpected heroes and world-changing stories on a beautiful 3D globe. Compete on leaderboards and earn badges.

Highlights
  • Daily geography challenges
  • Historical context for locations
  • Interactive 3D globe
  • Global leaderboards
  • Earn badges and streaks
  • Practice modes with curated challenges
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

MapTap turns world geography into a daily adventure. Every day, discover 5 locations connected to events that happened "this day in history" ... then tap them on a beautiful 3D globe. Each location comes with historical context: unexpected heroes, surprising discoveries, and stories that changed the world. And maybe learn a little geography along the way.. DAILY GAME • 5 new locations every day • Compete on global leaderboards • Earn badges and streaks PRACTICE MODES • 50+ curated geography challenges • World capitals, major cities, themed collections • Play anytime, perfect your skills BEAUTIFUL GLOBE • Realistic Earth visualization • Smooth rotation and zoom Terms of Use (EULA): https://maptap.gg/terms Privacy Policy: https://maptap.gg/privacy

Screenshots

iNaturalist4 screens
MapTap.gg3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MapTap.gg at 93% against iNaturalist's 49%. MapTap.gg also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (17K vs 719). iNaturalist's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads, chart position and device support 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. MapTap.gg sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. iNaturalist asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MapTap.gg holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MapTap.gg has 17K ratings behind it against 719, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of iNaturalist's written reviews are positive against 93% of MapTap.gg's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iNaturalist ships an update fortnightly, MapTap.gg weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
iNaturalist versus MapTap.gg: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriNaturalistMapTap.gg
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (719 ratings)4.9 (17K ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.6% of reviews93.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings71917K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank#109#62 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size220 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiNaturalistMapTap Inc

Customer experience

iNaturalist

All ratings707 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral8.8%
Negative18.5%
Written reviews451 reviews
Positive48.6%
Neutral15.3%
Negative36.1%

MapTap.gg

All ratings16,752 ratings
Positive99.1%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews360 reviews
Positive93.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative3.1%

Bugs and requests

iNaturalist

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips
  • Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu
  • Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time
  • Map showing incorrect observation locations
  • Crashes and performance issues on some devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to type in address/coordinates for location
  • Option to add observations to projects during upload
  • Batch editing/uploading of observations
  • More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory)
  • Bring back colored observation markers on map

MapTap.gg

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iNaturalist

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MapTap.gg

Subscriptions2
  • MapTap+ Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • MapTap+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is iNaturalist free?
iNaturalist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MapTap.gg free?
MapTap.gg is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iNaturalist or MapTap.gg?
MapTap.gg is rated higher. iNaturalist averages 4.1 out of 5 from 719 ratings, while MapTap.gg averages 4.9 from 17K ratings.
Do iNaturalist or MapTap.gg have ads?
Neither iNaturalist nor MapTap.gg shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iNaturalist or MapTap.gg?
iNaturalist ships an update fortnightly, and MapTap.gg weekly. Most recently, iNaturalist was updated on November 4, 2026 and MapTap.gg on November 5, 2026.
Which is more popular, iNaturalist or MapTap.gg?
iNaturalist currently peaks at #109 in the App Store charts, and MapTap.gg at #62. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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