# eBird vs Costa Rica Birds Basic

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Costa Rica Birds Basic at 100% against eBird's 37%. Costa Rica Birds Basic also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.0). eBird's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and ratings volume (803 vs 3). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

eBird is free to download; Costa Rica Birds Basic costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Costa Rica Birds Basic holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 803 ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of Costa Rica Birds Basic's.

eBird ships an update monthly, Costa Rica Birds Basic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Costa Rica Birds Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/costa-rica-birds-basic/id1072427641/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **803** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#146** | #197 |
| Size | 81 MB | 265 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Patrick ODonnell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1863275756) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #146 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


### Costa Rica Birds Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/costa-rica-birds-basic/id1072427641)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

A field guide to common Costa Rican birds, featuring images, vocalizations, and detailed descriptions. It includes search filters, personal lists, and note-taking capabilities, with options to record GPS and email sightings.

**Highlights:** Bird identification with images and vocalizations, Range maps and detailed descriptions, Comprehensive search and filtering, Personalized target lists, Note-taking with GPS recording, Similar species comparison

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is Costa Rica Birds Basic free?

Costa Rica Birds Basic costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, eBird or Costa Rica Birds Basic?

Costa Rica Birds Basic is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while Costa Rica Birds Basic averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do eBird or Costa Rica Birds Basic have ads?

Neither eBird nor Costa Rica Birds Basic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or Costa Rica Birds Basic?

eBird ships an update monthly, and Costa Rica Birds Basic every 2 months. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 19, 2026 and Costa Rica Birds Basic on October 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, eBird or Costa Rica Birds Basic?

eBird currently peaks at #146 in the App Store charts, and Costa Rica Birds Basic at #197. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*