# eBird vs ABA/AOU Bird Codes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ABA/AOU Bird Codes at 100% against eBird's 37%. ABA/AOU Bird Codes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). eBird's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and ratings volume (803 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

eBird is free to download; ABA/AOU Bird Codes costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ABA/AOU Bird Codes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 803 ratings behind it against 1, 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 ABA/AOU Bird Codes's.

eBird ships an update monthly, ABA/AOU Bird Codes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | ABA/AOU Bird Codes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abaaou-bird-codes/id1523235152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **803** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#135** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Schechter Natural History LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1489836176) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #135 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


### ABA/AOU Bird Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abaaou-bird-codes/id1523235152)

This app provides a quick reference for ornithological bird codes, used in data collection and field notes. It allows users to search and sort by common name, scientific name, or code, and toggle between ABA and AOU bird lists. Includes USGS species numbers and banding sizes.

**Highlights:** Quick bird code lookup, Sort by common/scientific name or code, Toggle ABA/AOU bird lists, USGS Species Numbers, Banding Sizes

**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 ABA/AOU Bird Codes free?

ABA/AOU Bird Codes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, eBird or ABA/AOU Bird Codes?

ABA/AOU Bird Codes is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while ABA/AOU Bird Codes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do eBird or ABA/AOU Bird Codes have ads?

Neither eBird nor ABA/AOU Bird Codes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or ABA/AOU Bird Codes?

eBird ships an update monthly, and ABA/AOU Bird Codes every 3 months. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 16, 2026 and ABA/AOU Bird Codes on October 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.*