The Waterbug App vs NatureMapr data collector
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Waterbug App
Identify freshwater invertebrates found in Australian waterways. Assess the health of rivers, creeks, and wetlands by observing these creatures. Contribute your findings to a national citizen science program.
- Waterbug identification
- River health assessment
- Citizen science contribution
- Data submission
- Australian freshwater invertebrates
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Identify waterbugs (freshwater invertebrates) from Australia, assess the health of a river/creek/wetland and submit data to contribute to the citizen science program - The National Waterbug Blitz.
NatureMapr data collector
This application allows users to report observations of plants and animals across Australia. The collected data is then shared with relevant government agencies, researchers, and environmental organizations. It's designed for community members, students, and professionals alike to contribute to environmental monitoring.
- Report plant and animal sightings
- Data shared with government and researchers
- Contribute to environmental monitoring
- Australian-made and hosted
- Suitable for all community members
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NatureMapr's mission is to empower anybody to report plant or animal information anywhere in Australia and ensure the information gets to the people that need to know about it. NatureMapr can be used by anyone in the community including school and university students, landholders, community groups, bushwalkers, park rangers, ecologists and environmental professionals. NatureMapr's partnerships with local, state and commonwealth government as well as researchers and environmental organisations, ensure your records become visible to the people that need to know about them. NatureMapr is proudly Australian made, owned and hosted in Australia.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NatureMapr data collector at every 6 weeks against The Waterbug App's every 9 months. NatureMapr data collector also leads on iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
The Waterbug App ships an update every 9 months, NatureMapr data collector every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Waterbug App | NatureMapr data collector |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | 91.4% of reviews — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 158 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Sharman | at3am IT Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
The Waterbug App
NatureMapr data collector
In-app purchases
The Waterbug App
No in-app purchases
NatureMapr data collector
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Waterbug App free?
Is NatureMapr data collector free?
Do The Waterbug App or NatureMapr data collector have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Waterbug App or NatureMapr data collector?
Other comparisons
