# Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab vs HelloCrowd

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab and HelloCrowd both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab's written reviews are positive against 0% of HelloCrowd's. Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab also leads on ratings volume (114K vs 29) and chart position (#19 vs unranked). HelloCrowd's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab against 4.9 for HelloCrowd. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab has 114K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab's written reviews are positive against 0% of HelloCrowd's.

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab ships an update every 3 weeks, HelloCrowd every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab | HelloCrowd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (114K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673/reviews) | **[4.9 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellocrowd/id936726622/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **114K** | 29 |
| Positive reviews | **74.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | — |
| Size | 318 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [HelloCrowd](https://appshunter.io/developer/936726621) |

## 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:** #19 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Instantly identify birds by sight or sound. This app uses advanced machine learning and a vast database of bird 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, Identify birds by sound, Answer simple questions for ID, Explore birds by region, Personalized Bird of the Day, Track personal sightings, View range maps and sounds

**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


### HelloCrowd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellocrowd/id936726622)

This mobile event app keeps attendees informed and engaged with tools like live polling, Q&A, and a detailed agenda. It provides comprehensive information on sessions, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors, facilitating networking and event navigation.

**Highlights:** Event Feed, Live Polling, Session Q&A, Push Messaging, Multi-track Agenda, Attendee & Speaker Lists, Exhibitor Information

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

**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 HelloCrowd free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab or HelloCrowd?

HelloCrowd is rated higher. Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab averages 4.9 out of 5 from 114K ratings, while HelloCrowd averages 4.9 from 29 ratings.

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

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

### Which is updated more often, Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab or HelloCrowd?

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab ships an update every 3 weeks, and HelloCrowd every 4 weeks. Most recently, Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab was updated on November 8, 2026 and HelloCrowd on November 6, 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.*