# Bat Detector vs BirdNET Live

Bat Detector and BirdNET Live both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of BirdNET Live's written reviews are positive against 40% of Bat Detector's. BirdNET Live also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bat Detector against 5.0 for BirdNET Live. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Bat Detector's written reviews are positive against 100% of BirdNET Live's.

Bat Detector ships an update monthly, BirdNET Live weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bat Detector | BirdNET Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bat-detector/id6504186190/reviews) | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdnet-live/id6776168518/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 136 MB | 346 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phil Atkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751268739) | [Stefan Kahl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541842887) |

## What reviewers say

### Bat Detector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bat-detector/id6504186190)

Listen to and record the ultrasonic sounds of bats using your iPhone or iPad. This app reveals bat acoustics through heterodyne detection and 16x time expansion, making their calls audible and musical. It also offers full-spectrum recordings triggered by bat sounds.

**Highlights:** Heterodyne bat detection without manual tuning, 16x time expansion for audible bat sounds, Full-spectrum recordings triggered by bat sounds, Real-time sound demodulation, Preserves harmonic relationships in bat calls, Supports European and global microbats

**In-app purchases:** none


### BirdNET Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdnet-live/id6776168518)

Identify bird species by their songs and calls directly on your device, even offline. This app provides real-time spectrograms, species detections, and tools for structured bioacoustic research and surveys. Manage your sound library and contribute to scientific understanding.

**Highlights:** Offline sound identification, Real-time spectrogram, Species detection, Structured survey modes, Audio file analysis, Sound library management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bat Detector free?

Bat Detector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BirdNET Live free?

BirdNET Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bat Detector or BirdNET Live?

Bat Detector and BirdNET Live are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do Bat Detector or BirdNET Live have ads?

Neither Bat Detector nor BirdNET Live shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bat Detector or BirdNET Live?

Bat Detector ships an update monthly, and BirdNET Live weekly. Most recently, Bat Detector was updated on October 2, 2026 and BirdNET Live on October 3, 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.*