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Education · head to head

eBird vs Seek by iNaturalist

eBird logo

eBird

Education

Free citizen-science checklist app from Cornell Lab of Ornithology for logging bird sightings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Seek by iNaturalist logo

Seek by iNaturalist

Education

Free nonprofit wildlife and plant identification app built to be safe for children

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: eBird it does not identify birds for you, so a beginner needs Merlin or field guide knowledge alongside it.; Seek by iNaturalist identification quality depends on how well iNaturalist community data covers a given region, so obscure or under-photographed species can be misidentified.
  • They diverge on capability: eBird covers Checklist logging, Seek by iNaturalist covers Offline identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eBird and Seek by iNaturalist actually diverge.

Attributes where eBird and Seek by iNaturalist differ
AttributeeBirdSeek by iNaturalist
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebiOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Free, no ads and no in-app purchases), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in eBird

  • Checklist logging
  • Hotspot exploration
  • Life list tracking
  • Rare bird alerts
  • Regional review
  • Data used in research

Only in Seek by iNaturalist

  • Offline identification
  • No account required
  • Child-safe design
  • Species badges
  • Broad coverage
  • Community-trained model

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

eBird

  • A birder who wants to keep a searchable life list across every location they have visitednot Seek by iNaturalist
  • Someone wanting alerts when a rare species is reported nearbynot Seek by iNaturalist
  • A researcher or land manager pulling public sighting data for a specific regionnot Seek by iNaturalist
  • A group leading a birding outing who wants to log a shared checklist for the tripnot Seek by iNaturalist

Seek by iNaturalist

  • A parent wanting a nature app for a child without accounts, chat or data collection concernsnot eBird
  • A hiker in an area with no signal who needs offline plant or insect identificationnot eBird
  • A teacher running an outdoor nature scavenger hunt with a classnot eBird
  • Anyone who wants broad wildlife identification without paying a subscriptionnot eBird

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

eBird

  • It does not identify birds for you, so a beginner needs Merlin or field guide knowledge alongside it.
  • Data quality depends on volunteer regional review, so unusual sightings can take time to verify or may be rejected.
  • The interface is built for structured data entry rather than casual browsing, which some users find less inviting than a photo-first app.
  • Hotspot and rare bird alert usefulness varies heavily by region, since it depends on local birder density submitting checklists.
  • As a research tool first, some workflows such as trip list exports and taxonomy changes prioritise data accuracy over ease of use.

Seek by iNaturalist

  • Identification quality depends on how well iNaturalist community data covers a given region, so obscure or under-photographed species can be misidentified.
  • It lacks the deep plant care guidance that commercial apps like PictureThis provide, since it is an identification tool, not a gardening assistant.
  • Observations made in Seek are not automatically added to the iNaturalist research database unless separately uploaded, which surprises some users expecting automatic contribution.
  • The offline model download is a meaningful app size, which matters on devices with limited storage.
  • Because there are no accounts, there is no cross-device sync of identification history.

Pricing, plan by plan

eBird

Free
  • eBirdFree
    • Unlimited checklist logging
    • Hotspot and rare bird alerts
    • Web and mobile access

Seek by iNaturalist

Free
  • SeekFree
    • Full identification for plants, insects and animals
    • Offline identification once models are downloaded
    • No account required

Which should you pick?

Choose eBird if

  • You need checklist logging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want hotspot exploration.
eBird review

Choose Seek by iNaturalist if

  • You need offline identification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want no account required.
Seek by iNaturalist review

Questions people ask

Is eBird or Seek by iNaturalist better?
Neither clearly leads. eBird starts at Free and Seek by iNaturalist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eBird or Seek by iNaturalist?
eBird starts at Free and Seek by iNaturalist at Free.
Does eBird or Seek by iNaturalist run on more platforms?
eBird runs on iOS, Android, Web. Seek by iNaturalist runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use eBird for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is eBird best used for?
eBird is most often used for a birder who wants to keep a searchable life list across every location they have visited, someone wanting alerts when a rare species is reported nearby, a researcher or land manager pulling public sighting data for a specific region, a group leading a birding outing who wants to log a shared checklist for the trip. Of those, a birder who wants to keep a searchable life list across every location they have visited and someone wanting alerts when a rare species is reported nearby are not what Seek by iNaturalist is typically brought in for.
What can eBird do that Seek by iNaturalist cannot?
eBird covers Checklist logging, Hotspot exploration, Life list tracking, Rare bird alerts. Seek by iNaturalist covers Offline identification, No account required, Child-safe design, Species badges.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

eBird: Is eBird free?

Yes, entirely, with no ads or paid tier, funded by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Seek by iNaturalist: Is Seek really free?

Yes, entirely, with no ads or in-app purchases, run by the nonprofit iNaturalist.

eBird: Does eBird identify birds?

No, it records checklists of species you already believe you saw; Merlin Bird ID handles identification.

Seek by iNaturalist: Do I need an account?

No, Seek works fully without an account, which is a deliberate choice to make it safe for children.

eBird: Who uses the data?

Researchers, conservation organisations and government agencies use eBird data to study migration and population trends.

Seek by iNaturalist: Does Seek feed the iNaturalist research database?

Not automatically. You have to choose to upload an observation to iNaturalist.org for it to become part of the research record.

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