# Birdwise vs Kestrel

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Birdwise | Kestrel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdwise/id6760843072/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kestrel-background-bird-id/id6787208717/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 62 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Trevor Pennington](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514673614) | [CRUZ GODAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787208719) |

## What reviewers say

### Birdwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdwise/id6760843072)

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.

**Highlights:** Bird image and audio decks, Ranked mode for timed challenges, Training mode for accuracy checks, Learn mode for guided study, Improve bird identification skills

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Birdwise pro | $11.99 | one-time |


### Kestrel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kestrel-background-bird-id/id6787208717)

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.

**Highlights:** Background bird song identification, On-device audio processing, Customizable notifications for starred/new birds, Immediate audio deletion, Open-source code

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Birdwise free?

Birdwise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Kestrel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Birdwise or Kestrel?

Birdwise and Kestrel are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do Birdwise or Kestrel have ads?

Neither Birdwise nor Kestrel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Birdwise or Kestrel?

Birdwise ships an update fortnightly, and Kestrel every 6 weeks. Most recently, Birdwise was updated on October 17, 2026 and Kestrel on October 24, 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.*