Birdwise vs Kestrel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Birdwise
Enhance your bird identification abilities with interactive decks of bird images and audio. Engage in various modes like Ranked, Training, and Learn to test and improve your knowledge.
- Bird image and audio decks
- Ranked mode for timed challenges
- Training mode for accuracy checks
- Learn mode for guided study
- Improve bird identification skills
Read full descriptionHide full description
Improve your bird ID skills by training with decks of bird images and audio Modes: - Ranked: Get as many right as you can in 60 seconds and see your rank - Training: Answer cards to check your accuracy - Learn: Flip through cards while seeing the correct answer Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Kestrel
This app identifies birds by their songs and calls using on-device processing. It notifies you when a starred or new bird is detected, allowing you to stay immersed in nature without constantly checking your phone. All audio is deleted immediately after processing.
- Background bird song identification
- On-device audio processing
- Customizable notifications for starred/new birds
- Immediate audio deletion
- Open-source code
Read full descriptionHide full description
Kestrel listens for birds in the background on your iPhone or Apple Watch so you can focus on the nature around you. It uses Cornell Lab's BirdNET model to identify birds by their songs and calls, and when it hears one you've starred in your life list or have never seen before, it notifies you. That lets you keep your focus off your phone, with confidence that you'll know when a bird you care about is nearby. All processing happens on-device, all audio is deleted immediately (i.e. within a few seconds of being recorded), and the source code is freely available.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kestrel at none against Birdwise's 1. Birdwise's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). 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
Both are free to download. Birdwise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Kestrel asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Birdwise against 5.0 for Kestrel. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively.
Birdwise ships an update fortnightly, Kestrel every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Birdwise | Kestrel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Trevor Pennington | CRUZ GODAR |
Customer experience
Birdwise
Kestrel
In-app purchases
Birdwise
- Birdwise pro$11.99
Kestrel
No in-app purchases
