# eBird vs Birdwise

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.

Both are free to download. Birdwise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. eBird asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Birdwise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdwise/id6760843072/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **803** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#150** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Trevor Pennington](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514673614) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #150 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


### Birdwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdwise/id6760843072)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Birdwise pro | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*