Comparison

eBird vs Birdwise

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

Birdwise

Enhance your bird identification abilities with interactive decks of bird images and audio. Engage in various modes like Ranked, Training, and Learn to test and improve your knowledge.

Highlights
  • Bird image and audio decks
  • Ranked mode for timed challenges
  • Training mode for accuracy checks
  • Learn mode for guided study
  • Improve bird identification skills
Features
Read full description

Improve your bird ID skills by training with decks of bird images and audio Modes: - Ranked: Get as many right as you can in 60 seconds and see your rank - Training: Answer cards to check your accuracy - Learn: Flip through cards while seeing the correct answer Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

eBird4 screens
Birdwise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Birdwise at 100% against eBird's 37%. Birdwise also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). eBird's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (803 vs 4). On price, ads and device support 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. Birdwise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. eBird asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Birdwise 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 4, 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 Birdwise's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eBird ships an update monthly, Birdwise fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
eBird versus Birdwise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereBirdBirdwise
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (803 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings803 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#150 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCornell UniversityTrevor Pennington

Customer experience

eBird

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

Birdwise

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Birdwise

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

eBird

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Birdwise

One-time1
  • Birdwise pro$11.99

Questions

Is eBird free?
eBird is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Birdwise free?
Birdwise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, eBird or Birdwise?
Birdwise is rated higher. eBird averages 3.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while Birdwise averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do eBird or Birdwise have ads?
Neither eBird nor Birdwise shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eBird or Birdwise?
eBird ships an update monthly, and Birdwise fortnightly. Most recently, eBird was updated on September 30, 2026 and Birdwise on September 8, 2026.

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