# Monarch SOS vs Monarch Watch

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monarch SOS | Monarch Watch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monarch-sos/id956347677/reviews) | **[4.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monarch-watch/id1622788215/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 176 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Naturedigger LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/658672412) | [The University of Kansas](https://appshunter.io/developer/726307325) |

## What reviewers say

### Monarch SOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monarch-sos/id956347677)

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.

**Highlights:** Monarch identification guide, Life cycle stages, Confusing look-alike comparison, Milkweed species identification, Conservation efforts information, Migration news updates

**In-app purchases:** none


### Monarch Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monarch-watch/id1622788215)

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.

**Highlights:** Monarch tagging data submission, Recovery and calendar data logging, Automatic tag image capture, Streamlined data entry, Offline data saving, Educational materials

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monarch SOS free?

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

### Is Monarch Watch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monarch SOS or Monarch Watch?

Monarch Watch is rated higher. Monarch SOS averages 4.6 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Monarch Watch averages 4.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Monarch SOS or Monarch Watch have ads?

Neither Monarch SOS nor Monarch Watch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monarch SOS or Monarch Watch?

Monarch SOS ships an update every 5 weeks, and Monarch Watch monthly. Most recently, Monarch SOS was updated on November 1, 2026 and Monarch Watch on November 3, 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.*