Comparison

eBird vs Trek Central

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

Trek Central

Customize your eBike's motor assist, track ride metrics, and get real-time range calculations. The app also provides suspension setup recommendations and service reminders for compatible Trek eBikes.

Highlights
  • Motor assist customization
  • Activity tracking
  • Real-time range calculation
  • Navigation features
  • Suspension setup recommendations
  • Service reminders
Features
Read full description

The Trek Central app seamlessly connects with your bike so you can customize motor behavior, track your activities, get real-time range calculations, and use navigation features to figure out where you're going. You'll also get suspension set-up recommendations, service reminders, and more! YOUR PERFECT TUNE Use Trek Central to adjust how the assist from your motor feels. Adjust Max Power, Assist Factor, and Pedal Response to optimize YOUR ride. Turn it down to maximize range, get better traction, or make the bike easier to handle on tricky climbs. Crank it up if you want to go turbo-all-the-time. Note - Tuning options vary by model. TRACK YOUR RIDE You can leave your phone in your pocket or pack and still get all the data you want from your ride. With Auto Start enabled, all you have to do is start riding, and Trek Central will record all the metrics including distance, speed, elevation, power output, and more. You can also export your ride data to Strava or Komoot, and you can even share your rides to other Trek Central users. HOW FAR WILL YOU GO? See how far your Trek or Electra eBike will take you with real-time range calculations. Trek Central shows you how far you can go in each assist mode and will adjust accordingly as you adjust assist modes. You can even find your destination on the Range Cloud map to make sure you have enough battery to get there. Trek Central calculates range using advanced algorithms that factor in not only rider weight and battery capacity, but also topographic terrain data as well as historical rider behavior. DIAL IT IN Trek Central provides customized setup recommendations for your suspension settings and tire pressure. Select models like Fuel EXe 9.9 even incorporate Quarq TyreWiz and RockShox AirWiz sensors that let you know whether your pressure is high, low, or just right with a quick glance at Trek Central’s Ready to Ride screen. One-click connect pairs your sensors to your phone automatically when you connect to your bike. *Please note that the Trek Central app currently only works with Trek eBikes equipped with TQ or Hyena motors. Find Trek Central FAQs here - https://www.trekbikes.com/trek-central-faq/ Having trouble? Contact our support team for assistance at RiderSupport@Trekbikes.com

Screenshots

eBird4 screens
Trek Central4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Trek Central at 4.7 against eBird's 3.8. Trek Central also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 803). eBird's advantage is chart position (#133 vs unranked) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Trek Central holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 803 and 2.9K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of eBird's written reviews are positive against 27% of Trek Central's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eBird ships an update monthly, Trek Central every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
eBird versus Trek Central: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereBirdTrek Central
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (803 ratings)4.7 (2.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.6% of reviews — better26.8% of reviews
Number of ratings8032.9K — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#133 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB207 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperCornell UniversityTrek Bicycle

Customer experience

eBird

All ratings803 ratings
Positive67.9%
Neutral9.7%
Negative22.4%
Written reviews361 reviews
Positive36.6%
Neutral18.6%
Negative44.9%

Trek Central

All ratings2,891 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive26.8%
Neutral16.2%
Negative57.0%

User reviews

eBird

From 803 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 📍 Issues with location tracking and mapping
  • 🤔 Unintuitive user interface
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with location data

Trek Central

From 2.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app when it works
  • 👍 Good for adjusting bike settings
  • 🔋 Decent battery life

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constant connection issues
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Inaccurate data tracking
  • 🔒 Poor password handling
  • 👎 Limited functionality

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

Trek Central

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to connect to bike
  • Elevation tracking not working
  • Ride data not syncing correctly
  • Frequent app crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Customizable dashboard
  • Strava integration
  • Apple Watch support
  • Improved mapping and navigation

In-app purchases

None

eBird

No in-app purchases

None

Trek Central

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eBird free?
eBird is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Trek Central free?
Trek Central is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, eBird or Trek Central?
Trek Central is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while Trek Central averages 4.7 from 2.9K ratings.
Do eBird or Trek Central have ads?
Neither eBird nor Trek Central shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eBird or Trek Central?
eBird ships an update monthly, and Trek Central every 2 months. Most recently, eBird was updated on September 25, 2026 and Trek Central on September 24, 2026.

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