The Waterbug App vs Spinder
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.
Spinder
This educational app uses a fun, interactive game to teach users about correlated selection and how traits influence evolution. By swiping on virtual spiders, players learn about the impact of different trait values on population phenotypes.
- Interactive spider trait customization
- Learn correlated selection concepts
- Explore trait value impact on evolution
- Intuitive science concept interface
- Test different selection ideas
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Swipe left or right on each dancing peacock spider to create spiders with specific traits. The peacock spiders vary in three traits: tail size, tail colour, and dance speed. As you explore each trait, you’ll learn about correlated selection and how the value of a trait changes the relative effect of selection, and why populations vary in phenotypes. The intuitive interface allows you to quickly grasp science concepts and test different ideas on how selection functions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spinder at 100% against The Waterbug App's 88%. Spinder also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, 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, Spinder every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 10, 2026.
| Parameter | The Waterbug App | Spinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Sharman | arludo Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
The Waterbug App
Spinder
In-app purchases
The Waterbug App
No in-app purchases
Spinder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Waterbug App free?
Is Spinder free?
Do The Waterbug App or Spinder have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Waterbug App or Spinder?
Other comparisons
