# eBird vs SEAC 2025

The clearest difference is update cadence: eBird at every 2 months against SEAC 2025's every 12 months. eBird also leads on chart position (#168 vs unranked). SEAC 2025's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

eBird ships an update every 2 months, SEAC 2025 every 12 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | SEAC 2025 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (825 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **825** | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#168** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Chad Caswell](https://appshunter.io/developer/548967864) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #168 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


### SEAC 2025

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seac-2025/id6444068885)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is SEAC 2025 free?

SEAC 2025 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do eBird or SEAC 2025 have ads?

Neither eBird nor SEAC 2025 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or SEAC 2025?

eBird ships an update every 2 months, and SEAC 2025 every 12 months. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 27, 2026 and SEAC 2025 on October 27, 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.*