# Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab vs SecondThought

The clearest difference is chart position: Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab at #30 against SecondThought's unranked. Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.2). SecondThought's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, 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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab | SecondThought |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (114K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **114K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 74.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | — |
| Size | 319 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Janghyup Sohn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725328697) |

## What reviewers say

### Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Instantly identify birds by sight or sound. This app uses advanced machine learning and a vast database of sightings, sounds, and photos to help you discover and learn about avian species worldwide. Track your sightings and explore birds in your region.

**Highlights:** Identify birds by photo or sound, Explore birds by region, Personalized Bird of the Day, Customized bird lists, Track personal sightings, Expert ID tips and range maps

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for bird identification
- 🔒 Accurate bird identification
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Useful for beginners and experts
- 👍 Enjoyable and fun to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sound ID not always accurate
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🐛 Difficulty adding birds to life list
- 🐛 Limited bird packs for certain regions
- 🐛 Requires location access

**Reported bugs**

- Sound ID not working in some cases
- Inability to download bird packs due to storage issues
- Repeated email confirmation requests
- Incorrect bird identifications in certain locations
- Inability to edit or delete past sightings

**Requested features**

- Allow manual addition of birds to life list
- Improve search functionality to find specific birds
- Add more bird packs for underrepresented regions
- Improve sound ID accuracy and reliability
- Provide option to save recordings without location


### SecondThought

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secondthought/id6757342225)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab free?

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SecondThought free?

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

### Do Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab or SecondThought have ads?

Neither Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab nor SecondThought shows ads.

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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.*