Comparison

Fish Identifier vs BigFish AI

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

Head to head
About

Fish Identifier

Instantly identify fish species from a photo and get local fishing regulations, including size and bag limits. Chat with the AI to learn more about your catch, its habitat, and conservation status. This app provides location-aware guidance to help you fish legally and confidently.

Highlights
  • Instant AI species identification
  • Location-aware fishing regulations
  • Size and bag limit information
  • Interactive AI chat for deeper knowledge
  • Offline access to previous catches
  • Smart camera viewfinder
Read full description

Caught a fish and not sure what it is, or whether you can legally keep it? CatchScan tells you both in seconds. Snap a photo of your catch and get an instant species ID, an honest confidence rating, and the fishing regulations for the water you were actually fishing: size limits, bag limits, seasons, and a clear keeper-or-release verdict. No more guessing. No more risking a fine. KNOW BEFORE YOU KEEP CatchScan reads the location saved inside your photo, not wherever your phone happens to be right now. It works out which jurisdiction governs that water, including whether you were in state or federal waters, checked against NOAA boundary data. - Minimum size limits for your species and region - Bag limits so you stay within the law - Season status, open or closed - Clear keeper or release guidance - Works on photos from earlier trips, so you can identify last weekend's catch from your couch and still get the right rules INSTANT AI IDENTIFICATION Point the camera, tap, and know. OpenAI GPT reads body shape, fins, markings and coloration to name the species in seconds, across saltwater, freshwater, tropical and cold-water fish, adults and juveniles alike. - A confidence rating on every result, so a firm identification never looks the same as a tentative one - The field marks behind each call, so you can check the reasoning yourself - A "Don't confuse with" section naming look-alike species and the one visible feature that separates each - Catch difficulty, habitat, typical size and conservation status BUILD YOUR COLLECTION Every confirmed identification joins your Collection: a lifetime field guide built only from fish you personally landed. - Cover photo, scientific name and a running catch count for each species - Milestones unlock at 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 species - Records survive even after you clear old chats - Stored on your device and reviewable offline ASK FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS (PREMIUM) Unlike simple ID apps, CatchScan chats. Ask whether it is safe to eat, how to tell it from a lookalike, what its conservation status means, or the best way to catch another one. WHAT YOU GET FOR FREE CatchScan is free to download, and you get one full identification every day at no cost, with the species, confidence rating, field marks, look-alike check and local regulations all included. Premium lifts the daily limit and unlocks follow-up questions, and starts with a free trial. BUILT FOR ANGLERS - Smart camera with an optimized viewfinder that guides you to the best angle - Full catch history, searchable and viewable offline - Shareable catch cards for social - Clean, ad-free experience - Motion and haptics throughout, with full Reduce Motion support YOUR PRIVACY MATTERS Photos are transmitted using enterprise-grade encryption, processed instantly, and immediately deleted from our servers. Your history and your Collection stay private on your device. DEDICATED SUPPORT Join our Discord community to connect with fellow anglers, share your catches, and get help from our team. In-app support makes it easy to report an issue or suggest an improvement. WHY ANGLERS CHOOSE CATCHSCAN - The only fish ID app that pairs species identification with location-aware regulations - Honest confidence ratings instead of a single confident-sounding guess - A growing personal field guide of everything you have caught - Clean, ad-free experience - Regular updates with improved AI models - Created by Venus Cloud Ltd, trusted by thousands of anglers Never wonder "can I keep this?" again. Download Fish Identifier: CatchScan and fish with confidence. Note: An internet connection is required for new identifications. Past identifications and your Collection can be viewed offline. Terms of use (https://catchscan.app/terms/) Privacy Policy (https://catchscan.app/privacy/)

About

BigFish AI

This app uses AI to analyze real-time environmental conditions and your past catches to recommend the best lures and fishing times. It also helps identify fish species, log your catches with detailed data, and discover productive fishing spots.

Highlights
  • AI-driven lure recommendations
  • Environmental condition analysis
  • Fish species identification
  • GPS-tagged catch logging
  • Interactive fishing spot map
  • Offline-first functionality
  • Personalized tackle box management
Features
Read full description

BigFish AI is the fishing app that learns your water. Stop guessing what to throw. BigFish AI reads today's conditions — barometric pressure trend, wind, cloud cover, water type, and solunar timing — and tells you what's biting, when to go, and which lure to tie on. SCAN THE SPOT Point your phone at the water and scan. BigFish AI reads the conditions and hands you a ranked set of lure recommendations for that exact place and moment — including when live bait is the smarter call. SNAP THE CATCH Photograph your fish and AI identifies the species, then estimates length and weight. One tap confirms and it's logged, tagged with GPS, weather, and time. FIND THE HOTZONES See real fishing spots near you on the map, each enriched with the species you can expect, lures that work there, and a local tip. Your own catches build density zones over time, so your best water rises to the top. YOUR AI FISHING GUIDE Ask anything. Unlike generic advice, your guide knows YOUR tackle box, YOUR catch history, and the conditions right now. "What should I throw?" gets a real answer, not a listicle. TACKLE BOX Keep your lures organized so recommendations only suggest what you actually own. TODAY'S BITE SCORE A 0-100 score from real conditions, plus the best window to be on the water. SHAREABLE CATCH CARDS Turn any catch into a clean card with the photo, stats, and location — ready for the group chat. BUILT FOR THE WATER Offline-first. Your catches, spots, and tackle box live on your device and keep working with no signal. Forecasts cache automatically. AI features need a connection. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS No account. No login. No ads. No tracking. Your catch log and spots are stored on your device, not on our servers. SUBSCRIPTION BigFish AI requires a subscription. Yearly includes a 3-day free trial. Cancel anytime in Settings. Terms of Use: https://thebigfish.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://thebigfish.app/privacy/

Screenshots

Fish Identifier3 screens
BigFish AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Fish Identifier at free with in-app purchases against BigFish AI's subscription. BigFish AI's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Fish Identifier sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per 7 days and BigFish AI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Fish Identifier against 5.0 for BigFish AI. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fish Identifier ships an update every 3 weeks, BigFish AI every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Fish Identifier versus BigFish AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFish IdentifierBigFish AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVenus Cloud LtdWilliam Del Principe

Customer experience

Fish Identifier

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

BigFish AI

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Fish Identifier

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Week Fishing Identifier Plan3 Days trial$4.497 Days
  • 1 Year Fishing Identifier Plan$23.991 Year
2 purchases

BigFish AI

Subscriptions2
  • BigFish AI Monthly$7.991 Month
  • BigFish AI Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Fish Identifier free?
Fish Identifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BigFish AI free?
BigFish AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Fish Identifier or BigFish AI?
Fish Identifier and BigFish AI are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Fish Identifier or BigFish AI have ads?
Neither Fish Identifier nor BigFish AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fish Identifier or BigFish AI?
Fish Identifier ships an update every 3 weeks, and BigFish AI every 3 days. Most recently, Fish Identifier was updated on October 19, 2026 and BigFish AI on October 11, 2026.

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