# eBird vs Fins

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fins at 100% against eBird's 37%. Fins also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). eBird's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (825 vs 16). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fins sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. eBird asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fins holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eBird has 825 ratings behind it against 16, 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 Fins's.

eBird ships an update every 2 months, Fins weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Fins |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (825 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fins-fish-id/id6744153752/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **825** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 37.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [evan foster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806295478) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #153 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


### Fins

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fins-fish-id/id6744153752)

Instantly identify marine life from photos or guided searches. Log your dives, track sightings, and build a personal species collection. Engage with trivia games, earn badges, and plan liveaboard trips while contributing to ocean conservation.

**Highlights:** AI Marine Species ID, Guided Search, Dive Logbook, Marine Trivia Games, Badges & Achievements, Liveaboard Planning, Community Sharing

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fins Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Fins Pro Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is Fins free?

Fins is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, eBird or Fins?

Fins is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 825 ratings, while Fins averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do eBird or Fins have ads?

Neither eBird nor Fins shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or Fins?

eBird ships an update every 2 months, and Fins weekly. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 26, 2026 and Fins on October 25, 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.*