# eBird vs Shark Count Galapagos

The clearest difference is rating: Shark Count Galapagos at 5.0 against eBird's 3.8. Shark Count Galapagos also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). eBird's advantage is ratings volume (825 vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Shark Count Galapagos holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 825 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

eBird ships an update every 2 months, Shark Count Galapagos every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Shark Count Galapagos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (825 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shark-count-galapagos/id1140130387/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **825** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 37.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#154** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Galapagos Conservancy, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605997833) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #154 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


### Shark Count Galapagos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shark-count-galapagos/id1140130387)

This app enables divers to contribute to marine conservation by recording sightings of sharks, sea turtles, rays, and sunfish in supported regions. Data collected helps researchers and park officials manage marine protected areas and inform dive tourism.

**Highlights:** Record shark, turtle, ray, and sunfish sightings, Contribute to marine conservation efforts, View reports from top dive sites, Offline data entry, Species identification guide, Data shared with park authorities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is Shark Count Galapagos free?

Shark Count Galapagos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, eBird or Shark Count Galapagos?

Shark Count Galapagos is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 825 ratings, while Shark Count Galapagos averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do eBird or Shark Count Galapagos have ads?

Neither eBird nor Shark Count Galapagos shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or Shark Count Galapagos?

eBird ships an update every 2 months, and Shark Count Galapagos every 8 months. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 26, 2026 and Shark Count Galapagos on October 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*