# eBird vs BirdPro

The clearest difference is rating: BirdPro at 4.6 against eBird's 3.8. BirdPro also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 37%). eBird's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ratings volume (803 vs 24). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BirdPro sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per year. eBird asks for nothing beyond the download.

BirdPro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 803 ratings behind it against 24, 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 79% of BirdPro's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | BirdPro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[4.6 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdpro/id1356028273/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **803** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#117** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [High Branching cc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1235289409) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #117 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


### BirdPro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdpro/id1356028273)

This app helps you identify and learn about birds in South Africa. It features a powerful search tool, image recognition, and detailed information on over 8000 species. Log your sightings and explore interactive maps, even offline.

**Highlights:** Award-winning identification tool, Over 8000 bird images, 3000+ bird calls, SmartSearch with multiple filters, Accurate image recognition, Interactive distribution maps, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KNPSubscription | $5.99 | per year |
| BirdPro Image Recognition | $5.99 | per year |
| BirdPro Zimbabwe | $8.49 | per year |
| BirdPro SA Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| BirdPro Namibia subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| BirdPro Botswana | $9.99 | per year |
| Birds of Southern African | $11.99 | per year |
| Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| BirdPro Kruger National Park | $12.99 | one-time |
| BirdPro South Africa | $23.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is BirdPro free?

BirdPro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, eBird or BirdPro?

BirdPro is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while BirdPro averages 4.6 from 24 ratings.

### Do eBird or BirdPro have ads?

Neither eBird nor BirdPro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or BirdPro?

eBird ships an update monthly, and BirdPro monthly. Most recently, eBird was updated on September 25, 2026 and BirdPro on September 14, 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.*