# eBird vs Thompson Sanitary Service

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Thompson Sanitary Service |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[4.8 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thompson-sanitary-service/id1470117841/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **803** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#126** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Thompson's Sanitary Service Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470117840) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #126 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


### Thompson Sanitary Service

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thompson-sanitary-service/id1470117841)

Access your garbage and recycling collection schedules and receive timely reminders. This app provides all the necessary information for waste management services.

**Highlights:** View garbage schedule, View recycling schedule, Receive collection notifications, Get timely reminders

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is Thompson Sanitary Service free?

Thompson Sanitary Service is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, eBird or Thompson Sanitary Service?

Thompson Sanitary Service is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while Thompson Sanitary Service averages 4.8 from 33 ratings.

### Do eBird or Thompson Sanitary Service have ads?

Neither eBird nor Thompson Sanitary Service shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or Thompson Sanitary Service?

eBird ships an update monthly, and Thompson Sanitary Service every 5 months. Most recently, eBird was updated on September 28, 2026 and Thompson Sanitary Service on July 30, 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.*