Comparison

iNaturalist vs MagicMentor

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

MagicMentor

Features
Read full description

MagicMentor is a quiet, well-written close-up card magic learning app — taught the way a working pro would teach it, with an AI coach for when something's not landing. WHAT IT DOES • 10 classic close-up effects — The Ambitious Card, Triumph, Out of This World, Twisting the Aces, Card to Pocket, Any Card at Any Number, Colour Changing Deck, Haunted Deck, The Biddle Trick, False Cuts & Shuffles • Credited sources for each (Vernon, Marlo, Garcia, Elmsley, Curry, etc.) • Step-by-step method, common mistakes that ruin it, starting patter • AI coach that diagnoses your specific "what went wrong" question and suggests one concrete drill • Private practice log — every session logged with effect, question, AI feedback, your note • 3 free coach asks per day; Pro is unlimited DESIGN Dark black-velvet aesthetic — gold and cream on velvet. Apple-native SwiftUI. No third-party UI frameworks. PRIVACY • Every practice note stays on your iPhone with SwiftData • No login, no email, no analytics SDKs • "Data Not Collected" verified in App Privacy • AI coach calls send only the effect name and your question — no identifiers, no logs FREE Browse all 10 effects + full method + 3 AI coach asks per day + unlimited practice log. PRO ($4.99/month, $19.99/year, $34.99 lifetime) • Unlimited AI coach asks • All difficulty tiers • Unlimited practice log WHY MAGICMENTOR Most magic apps are video paywalls with shallow teaching. MagicMentor gives you the actual classical effects with credited sources, the common mistakes that ruin them, and a coach who'll diagnose your specific stuck moment, in your own pocket. Built in Australia. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

iNaturalist4 screens
MagicMentor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iNaturalist at none against MagicMentor's 2. iNaturalist also leads on chart position (#53 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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. MagicMentor sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. iNaturalist asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
iNaturalist versus MagicMentor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriNaturalistMagicMentor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (684 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews48.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings684 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#53 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size220 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiNaturalistMitaanshu Agarwal

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

MagicMentor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iNaturalist

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MagicMentor

Subscriptions2
  • MagicMentor Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • MagicMentor Pro Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is iNaturalist free?
iNaturalist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MagicMentor free?
MagicMentor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iNaturalist or MagicMentor have ads?
Neither iNaturalist nor MagicMentor shows ads.

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