eBird vs Thompson Sanitary Service
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
eBird
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.
- 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
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eBird Mobile makes it easy to record the birds you see in the field, and seamlessly link these observations with eBird--a global online database of bird records used by hundreds of thousands of birders around the world. This free resource makes it easy to keep track of what you see, while making your data openly available for scientific research, education, and conservation. eBird Mobile is the only app that passes information directly from the iOS device to your eBird account on the web. Features - Enter bird observations from any location around the world. - Full global taxonomy based on The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. - Common names available in local languages (e.g., Portuguese names in Brazil or in Portugal). - Checklists customized for your location and time of year, showing most likely species based on eBird data. - Rare species flagged during data entry and on the checklist. - "Record as you go" functionality for incremental list keeping and counting while birding. - GPS enabled location plotting to ensure accuracy. - Map tools that enable selecting from hundreds of thousands of eBird "Hotspots." - Full offline functionality, enabling use in places with limited or no Internet connection. - Trip and Day list functionality that makes it easy to keep track of your species list on a particular outing. - Support for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. - Entire app translated to German, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Turkish, and Dutch.
Thompson Sanitary Service
Access your garbage and recycling collection schedules and receive timely reminders. This app provides all the necessary information for waste management services.
- View garbage schedule
- View recycling schedule
- Receive collection notifications
- Get timely reminders
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Garbage and recycling schedules and reminders for Thompson's Sanitary Service. View your garbage and recycling schedule and receive collection notifications all from within this app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Thompson Sanitary Service at 4.8 against eBird's 3.8. Thompson Sanitary Service also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 37%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). eBird's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (803 vs 33). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Thompson Sanitary Service holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 803 ratings behind it against 33, 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 50% of Thompson Sanitary Service's.
eBird ships an update monthly, Thompson Sanitary Service every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and July 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | eBird | Thompson Sanitary Service |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (803 ratings) | 4.8 (33 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 803 — better | 33 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #117 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cornell University | Thompson's Sanitary Service Inc. |
Customer experience
eBird
Thompson Sanitary Service
Bugs and requests
eBird
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Thompson Sanitary Service
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
eBird
No in-app purchases
Thompson Sanitary Service
No in-app purchases







