# Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector vs eBird

The clearest difference is rating: Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector at 4.5 against eBird's 3.8. Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 37%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). eBird's advantage is chart position (#133 vs unranked) and ratings volume (803 vs 139). On price, update cadence, 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.

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 803 ratings behind it against 139, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector's written reviews are positive against 37% of eBird's.

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector ships an update every 2 months, eBird monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector | eBird |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/echo-meter-touch-bat-detector/id693958125/reviews)** | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 139 | **803** |
| Positive reviews | **59.0% of reviews** | 36.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#133** |
| Size | 127 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wildlife Acoustics](https://appshunter.io/developer/605247214) | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) |

## What reviewers say

### Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/echo-meter-touch-bat-detector/id693958125)

This app works with a specialized hardware module to detect, record, and identify bats by their ultrasonic echolocation calls. It offers real-time listening, spectrogram visualization, and automatic species identification for outdoor enthusiasts, citizen scientists, and researchers.

**Highlights:** Listen to bat echolocation calls, View real-time spectrograms, Automatic bat species identification, Record full spectrum .wav files, Map bat recording locations, Transfer recordings to computer

**In-app purchases:** none


### eBird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279)

**Currently charting:** #133 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Easily record bird sightings in the field and contribute to a global database for scientific research and conservation. This app offers offline functionality, customized checklists, and GPS-enabled location plotting.

**Highlights:** Record bird observations globally, Global taxonomy and local common names, Location and time-based checklists, Rare species flagging, Offline functionality, GPS location plotting, Trip and day list tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for citizen science
- 🔍 Helpful for finding birds at hotspots
- 📚 Useful for tracking life lists
- 👍 Easy to use and submit checklists
- 🤝 Integrates well with Merlin Bird ID

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📍 Issues with location tracking and mapping
- 🤔 Unintuitive user interface
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location data

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to start a new checklist
- Inability to log in or access account
- Inconsistent behavior with bird pack downloads
- Checklist data not syncing across devices
- Explore feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload photos and audio directly in the app
- Implement alphabetical sorting for checklists
- Improve syncing between app and website
- Add more advanced filtering and search options
- Provide offline access to bird information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector free?

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

### Is eBird free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector or eBird?

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector is rated higher. Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector averages 4.5 out of 5 from 139 ratings, while eBird averages 3.8 from 803 ratings.

### Do Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector or eBird have ads?

Neither Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector nor eBird shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector or eBird?

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector ships an update every 2 months, and eBird monthly. Most recently, Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector was updated on September 22, 2026 and eBird on September 25, 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.*