# eBird vs Spark Birds

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spark Birds at 100% against eBird's 37%. Spark Birds also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). eBird's advantage is chart position (#131 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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, Spark Birds every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eBird | Spark Birds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#131** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985) | [Delroy Peters](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786415395) |

## What reviewers say

### eBird

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

**Currently charting:** #131 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


### Spark Birds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-birds/id6786415393)

Identify birds with AI assistance, log your sightings, and discover avian activity in your area. This app offers a comprehensive library of species and allows you to receive alerts for birds nearby. It's designed for anyone interested in learning about and documenting birdlife.

**Highlights:** AI-assisted bird identification, Save and manage bird sightings, Explore nearby bird activity, Receive local bird alerts, Browse species library with details, Share sightings with community

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eBird free?

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

### Is Spark Birds free?

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

### Do eBird or Spark Birds have ads?

Neither eBird nor Spark Birds shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eBird or Spark Birds?

eBird ships an update every 2 months, and Spark Birds every 10 days. Most recently, eBird was updated on October 24, 2026 and Spark Birds on October 18, 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.*