# SchoolGuard vs Birdathon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SchoolGuard at none against Birdathon's 4. SchoolGuard also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.1). Birdathon's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and ratings volume (15 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birdathon sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. SchoolGuard asks for nothing beyond the download.

SchoolGuard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of SchoolGuard's written reviews are positive against 100% of Birdathon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SchoolGuard ships an update every 6 months, Birdathon every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on June 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SchoolGuard | Birdathon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schoolguard/id768010909/reviews)** | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdathon/id1211977440/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **15** |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 58 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guard911, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/862725594) | [Barry Langdon-Lassagne](https://appshunter.io/developer/730758814) |

## What reviewers say

### SchoolGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schoolguard/id768010909)

This app provides K-12 school staff with an immediate panic button for emergencies. Upon activation, it alerts law enforcement, school personnel, and nearby protected schools, while displaying the alert's location.

**Highlights:** One-tap panic button for emergencies, Alerts law enforcement and school staff, Sends location data, Notifies nearby schools, Listed in AT&T FirstNet App Catalog

**In-app purchases:** none


### Birdathon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdathon/id1211977440)

This app helps birdwatchers create and organize detailed checklists of their observations. It automatically records time and location, allowing for easy editing and customization. Users can visualize their sightings on maps, add field notes, and export data for sharing or further analysis.

**Highlights:** Observation-centric checklists, Automatic time and location recording, Customizable maps with boundary overlays, Field notes for additional observations, Multiple checklist sorting options, Data export to CSV and other formats, Create checklist templates

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Good Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Great Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Incredible Tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SchoolGuard free?

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

### Is Birdathon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SchoolGuard or Birdathon?

SchoolGuard is rated higher. SchoolGuard averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Birdathon averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.

### Do SchoolGuard or Birdathon have ads?

Neither SchoolGuard nor Birdathon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SchoolGuard or Birdathon?

SchoolGuard ships an update every 6 months, and Birdathon every 4 months. Most recently, SchoolGuard was updated on June 24, 2026 and Birdathon on September 19, 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.*