The Waterbug App vs Xmas Beetle ID Guide
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.
Xmas Beetle ID Guide
Explore Australia's Christmas beetles with a comprehensive identification guide. Browse photos, maps, and learn about beetle anatomy and taxonomy. Collect your findings in a digital collection.
- Christmas beetle catalogue
- Photos and maps
- Digital beetle collection
- Beetle anatomy glossary
- Taxonomy information
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Discover the wonderful diversity of Australia's most famous beetles with our identification guide! Browse the comprehensive catalogue of Christmas beetles, including photos, maps and more! Collect the beetles you find and identify by adding them to your digital collection, and learn more about beetle anatomy and taxonomy with our illustrated glossaries. This app is best used with a magnifying glass to best compare details to the photos in the app. Have fun, and happy hunting! Development of this app was assisted by a grant from the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS). To learn more about ABRS visit their website.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Xmas Beetle ID Guide at every 6 weeks against The Waterbug App's every 9 months. Xmas Beetle ID Guide also leads on iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.0). The Waterbug App's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 75%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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, Xmas Beetle ID Guide every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Waterbug App | Xmas Beetle ID Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 6.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Sharman | Australian Museum |
Customer experience
The Waterbug App
Xmas Beetle ID Guide
In-app purchases
The Waterbug App
No in-app purchases
Xmas Beetle ID Guide
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Waterbug App free?
Is Xmas Beetle ID Guide free?
Do The Waterbug App or Xmas Beetle ID Guide have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Waterbug App or Xmas Beetle ID Guide?
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