# eBird vs Recycle Coach

The clearest difference is rating: Recycle Coach at 4.8 against eBird's 3.8. Recycle Coach also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 824) and review sentiment (52% vs 37%). eBird's advantage is chart position (#147 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Recycle Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Recycle Coach has 26K ratings behind it against 824, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of eBird's written reviews are positive against 52% of Recycle Coach's.

eBird ships an update every 2 months, Recycle Coach monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Recycle Coach |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[4.8 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recycle-coach/id1071714967/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 824 | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | 37.1% of reviews | **52.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#147** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Municipal Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/465486249) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279)

**Currently charting:** #147 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Easily record bird sightings in the field and contribute to a global database for scientific research and conservation. This app offers offline functionality, customized checklists, and GPS-enabled location plotting.

**Highlights:** Record bird observations globally, Global taxonomy and local common names, Location and time-based checklists, Rare species flagging, Offline functionality, GPS location plotting, Trip and day list tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for citizen science
- 🔍 Helpful for finding birds at hotspots
- 📚 Useful for tracking life lists
- 👍 Easy to use and submit checklists
- 🤝 Integrates well with Merlin Bird ID

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📍 Issues with location tracking and mapping
- 🤔 Unintuitive user interface
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location data

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to start a new checklist
- Inability to log in or access account
- Inconsistent behavior with bird pack downloads
- Checklist data not syncing across devices
- Explore feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload photos and audio directly in the app
- Implement alphabetical sorting for checklists
- Improve syncing between app and website
- Add more advanced filtering and search options
- Provide offline access to bird information


### Recycle Coach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recycle-coach/id1071714967)

This app provides personalized recycling and trash collection reminders, an instant search tool to identify recyclable materials, and information on local drop-off locations. It also allows users to report waste management issues and offers educational content on proper disposal.

**Highlights:** Collection reminders, Material sorting guide, Drop-off location info, Report waste issues, Recycling education

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Informative and helpful
- 🚀 Convenient reminders
- 💡 Recycling education
- 🚀 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Incorrect pickup dates
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Address lookup issues
- 🐛 Notifications not working

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing on startup
- Address search not functioning
- Inconsistent notification delivery
- Calendar view issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to change pickup dates
- Support for multiple addresses
- More detailed calendar view
- Better user feedback/support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is Recycle Coach free?

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

### Which has better reviews, eBird or Recycle Coach?

Recycle Coach is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 824 ratings, while Recycle Coach averages 4.8 from 26K ratings.

### Do eBird or Recycle Coach have ads?

Neither eBird nor Recycle Coach shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or Recycle Coach?

eBird ships an update every 2 months, and Recycle Coach monthly. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 22, 2026 and Recycle Coach on October 23, 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.*