Monarch SOS vs Monarch Watch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Monarch SOS
Identify monarch butterflies and their host plants with this comprehensive field guide. Learn about their life cycle, threats, and conservation efforts. Compare look-alike species and stay updated on migration news.
- Monarch identification guide
- Life cycle stages
- Confusing look-alike comparison
- Milkweed species identification
- Conservation efforts information
- Migration news updates
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Monarch SOS is a field guide for the public as well as a citizen science reporting app. It is the first monarch app developed by scientists that covers monarch identification in all life cycle stages, confusing look-alikes and numerous milkweed species (monarchs' larval host plants), frequently encountered in North America. Monarch SOS is a valuable tool for learning about monarch butterflies, threats they face and how everyone can help bring back the monarchs by making a few simple lifestyle changes. If viceroy and queen butterflies confuse you, quickly learn the differences in the "Compare" section under each butterfly. Keep up with the latest information on monarch conservation efforts and migration news by checking in daily with What's New? The feed is updated every time you open the app, so you'll always be in the loop!
Monarch Watch
Contribute to citizen science by tracking monarch butterflies. Log tagging, recovery, and calendar data with automatic image capture and field data import. Save data offline for later submission.
- Monarch tagging data submission
- Recovery and calendar data logging
- Automatic tag image capture
- Streamlined data entry
- Offline data saving
- Educational materials
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Participate in Monarch Watch community science projects and submit your monarch tagging, recovery and calendar data! Capture images of tags and automatically import codes for streamlined data entry. Easily import location, date, weather and other information then instantly submit data in the field. If no network connection is available, data may be saved and submitted later. All data from tagging, recovery, and calendar projects are saved on your device, giving you a record of what you have submitted. Detailed tagging instruction is provided as well as other educational materials and activities.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Monarch SOS at 13.0 against Monarch Watch's 15.6. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Monarch SOS against 4.7 for Monarch Watch. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 7 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Monarch SOS ships an update every 5 weeks, Monarch Watch monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Monarch SOS | Monarch Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (18 ratings) | 4.7 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 176 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Naturedigger LLC | The University of Kansas |
Customer experience
Monarch SOS
Monarch Watch
In-app purchases
Monarch SOS
No in-app purchases
Monarch Watch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Monarch SOS free?
Is Monarch Watch free?
Which has better reviews, Monarch SOS or Monarch Watch?
Do Monarch SOS or Monarch Watch have ads?
Which is updated more often, Monarch SOS or Monarch Watch?
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