Softwr

Education · head to head

Merlin Bird ID vs PictureThis

Merlin Bird ID logo

Merlin Bird ID

Education

Free bird identification app from Cornell Lab of Ornithology using photo, sound and step-by-step ID

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PictureThis logo

PictureThis

Education

Commercial plant identification app with a short free trial that converts to an annual subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Merlin Bird ID has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Merlin Bird ID it only identifies birds, so it is not useful for plants, insects or other wildlife the way a general nature app is.; PictureThis the free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
  • They diverge on capability: Merlin Bird ID covers Sound ID, PictureThis covers Plant identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Merlin Bird ID and PictureThis actually diverge.

Attributes where Merlin Bird ID and PictureThis differ
AttributeMerlin Bird IDPictureThis
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree, no ads and no in-app purchasesPer year, sold via a short free trial that auto-renews
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (iOS, Android), 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 Merlin Bird ID

  • Sound ID
  • Photo ID
  • Step-by-step ID
  • Offline regional packs
  • eBird-linked suggestions
  • No account required for basic use

Only in PictureThis

  • Plant identification
  • Disease diagnosis
  • Care reminders
  • Plant care library
  • Toxicity warnings
  • My Garden tracking

What people use each for

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

Merlin Bird ID

  • A casual walker who hears a bird and wants to know what it is without paying for an appnot PictureThis
  • A birdwatcher building a life list who wants identification tied to real regional sighting datanot PictureThis
  • Someone teaching a child to identify birds without exposing them to ads or a paywallnot PictureThis
  • A hiker who wants offline bird identification in an area with no signalnot PictureThis

PictureThis

  • A gardener who wants ongoing care reminders and disease diagnosis, not just a one-off identificationnot Merlin Bird ID
  • Someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternativesnot Merlin Bird ID
  • A plant owner who wants toxicity warnings for pets and childrennot Merlin Bird ID
  • A buyer who reads the trial terms carefully and sets a reminder to cancel before it convertsnot Merlin Bird ID

Where each one falls short

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

Merlin Bird ID

  • It only identifies birds, so it is not useful for plants, insects or other wildlife the way a general nature app is.
  • Sound ID can struggle in noisy environments or with overlapping bird calls, since it depends on a clean audio signal.
  • Being a free institutional project, feature releases and interface polish move more slowly than a funded commercial app.
  • Photo ID accuracy drops for juvenile birds, moulting birds or poor-quality photos, more so than for well-lit adult specimens.
  • It has no social or gamified layer, so users who want streaks, badges or a community feed will find it plain by comparison.

PictureThis

  • The free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
  • Cancellation has to be done through App Store or Play Store account settings, not by deleting the app, which catches users off guard.
  • It solves the same core identification problem that Seek, PlantNet and Merlin solve for free, so the paid tier is competing against genuinely free options for the same task.
  • Care guidance for uncommon or exotic species is criticised as generic rather than specific.
  • Being a commercial product from a company that publishes near-identical identification apps for other categories, its plant-specific depth is not obviously deeper than a dedicated botanical tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

Merlin Bird ID

Free
  • Merlin Bird IDFree
    • All identification modes included
    • Offline regional bird packs
    • No account required for identification

PictureThis

On request
  • PictureThis Annual$39.99/year
    • Unlimited plant identifications
    • Disease diagnosis
    • Care reminders and guides

Which should you pick?

Choose Merlin Bird ID if

  • You need sound id.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want photo id.
Merlin Bird ID review

Choose PictureThis if

  • You need plant identification.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want disease diagnosis.
PictureThis review

Questions people ask

Is Merlin Bird ID or PictureThis better?
Neither clearly leads. Merlin Bird ID starts at Free and PictureThis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Merlin Bird ID or PictureThis?
Merlin Bird ID has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Merlin Bird ID and On request for PictureThis.
Does Merlin Bird ID or PictureThis run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Merlin Bird ID for free?
Yes. Merlin Bird ID has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PictureThis starts at On request.
What is Merlin Bird ID best used for?
Merlin Bird ID is most often used for a casual walker who hears a bird and wants to know what it is without paying for an app, a birdwatcher building a life list who wants identification tied to real regional sighting data, someone teaching a child to identify birds without exposing them to ads or a paywall, a hiker who wants offline bird identification in an area with no signal. Of those, a casual walker who hears a bird and wants to know what it is without paying for an app and a birdwatcher building a life list who wants identification tied to real regional sighting data are not what PictureThis is typically brought in for.
What can Merlin Bird ID do that PictureThis cannot?
Merlin Bird ID covers Sound ID, Photo ID, Step-by-step ID, Offline regional packs. PictureThis covers Plant identification, Disease diagnosis, Care reminders, Plant care library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Merlin Bird ID: Is Merlin Bird ID really free with no catch?

Yes. It has no ads, no in-app purchases and no subscription; it is funded by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a research and outreach tool.

PictureThis: Is there a free version?

A limited free tier exists with restricted identifications and ads; full use requires the paid subscription.

Merlin Bird ID: How is it different from eBird?

Merlin identifies birds; eBird is where you log checklists and sightings that feed the research database Merlin draws its suggestions from.

PictureThis: How long is the free trial and does it auto-renew?

The trial is typically about seven days and auto-renews into the annual subscription unless cancelled beforehand through your App Store or Play Store settings.

Merlin Bird ID: Does it work offline?

Yes, once you download the regional bird pack for your area.

PictureThis: Is PictureThis the same as PlantNet or Seek?

No. PlantNet and Seek are free nonprofit identification tools; PictureThis is a commercial subscription product with more built-in care features.

Share

Related pages

More on Merlin Bird ID

More on PictureThis

Keep looking

Other head to heads