# CitSci vs Mushroom Observer

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mushroom Observer at fortnightly against CitSci's every 6 weeks. Mushroom Observer also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

CitSci ships an update every 6 weeks, Mushroom Observer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CitSci | Mushroom Observer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citsci/id657196305/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 33 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Greg Newman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536428997) | [Mushroom Observer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585728906) |

## What reviewers say

### CitSci

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citsci/id657196305)

Empower your community with a tool for collecting and uploading scientific observations. This app facilitates citizen science projects, allowing users to contribute valuable data directly to a central platform.

**Highlights:** Data collection for citizen science, Upload observations to CitSci.org, Empowers community science projects, Syncs with web platform, Facilitates observation contribution

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mushroom Observer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mushroom-observer/id1585728694)

Document fungi discoveries directly from your mobile device. Record detailed observations and contribute to a community-driven database of fungal life. Ideal for naturalists and researchers documenting specimens in the field.

**Highlights:** Record fungi observations, Document field discoveries, Contribute to a database, Mobile specimen recording, Fungal life documentation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CitSci free?

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

### Is Mushroom Observer free?

Mushroom Observer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do CitSci or Mushroom Observer have ads?

Neither CitSci nor Mushroom Observer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CitSci or Mushroom Observer?

CitSci ships an update every 6 weeks, and Mushroom Observer fortnightly. Most recently, CitSci was updated on September 10, 2026 and Mushroom Observer on August 27, 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.*