# Beach Explorer vs Observation

The clearest difference is update cadence: Observation at every 3 weeks against Beach Explorer's every 3 months. Beach Explorer's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Beach Explorer ships an update every 3 months, Observation every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beach Explorer | Observation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 127 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Code for Nature](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829374322) | [Observation International](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464543487) |

## What reviewers say

### Beach Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beach-explorer/id974572507)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Observation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/observation/id6446407612)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beach Explorer free?

Beach Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Observation free?

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

### Do Beach Explorer or Observation have ads?

Neither Beach Explorer nor Observation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Beach Explorer or Observation?

Beach Explorer ships an update every 3 months, and Observation every 3 weeks. Most recently, Beach Explorer was updated on September 20, 2026 and Observation on September 24, 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.*