Softwr

Education · head to head

Merlin Bird ID vs Star Walk 2

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
Star Walk 2 logo

Star Walk 2

Education

Freemium stargazing app with a low-cost ad-free upgrade, aimed at casual sky watchers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Star Walk 2 its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • They diverge on capability: Merlin Bird ID covers Sound ID, Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Merlin Bird ID and Star Walk 2 actually diverge.

Attributes where Merlin Bird ID and Star Walk 2 differ
AttributeMerlin Bird IDStar Walk 2
Pricing modelFree, no ads and no in-app purchasesFreemium, low-cost ad-free subscription upgrade
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 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 Star Walk 2

  • Augmented reality sky view
  • Time travel mode
  • Satellite tracking
  • Night mode
  • Meteor shower and event alerts
  • Ad-free Plus tier

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 Star Walk 2
  • A birdwatcher building a life list who wants identification tied to real regional sighting datanot Star Walk 2
  • Someone teaching a child to identify birds without exposing them to ads or a paywallnot Star Walk 2
  • A hiker who wants offline bird identification in an area with no signalnot Star Walk 2

Star Walk 2

  • A parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night skynot Merlin Bird ID
  • A traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitmentnot Merlin Bird ID
  • A casual stargazer who does not need telescope control or a deep-sky cataloguenot Merlin Bird ID
  • Someone wanting satellite pass tracking including the ISS on a budgetnot 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.

Star Walk 2

  • Its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, so it cannot drive a motorised mount.
  • The free tier carries ads, which some users find intrusive during a stargazing session.
  • It shares a visual style with many similar AR sky map apps, so its differentiation beyond price is limited.
  • Content depth for deep-sky objects and satellite catalogues lags noticeably behind Sky Guide Pro and SkySafari Pro.

Pricing, plan by plan

Merlin Bird ID

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

Star Walk 2

Free
  • Star Walk 2Free
    • Core sky map and AR view
    • Ad-supported
  • Star Walk 2 Plus$5.99/year
    • Ads removed
    • Additional sky content

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 Star Walk 2 if

  • You need augmented reality sky view.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want time travel mode.
Star Walk 2 review

Questions people ask

Is Merlin Bird ID or Star Walk 2 better?
Neither clearly leads. Merlin Bird ID starts at Free and Star Walk 2 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Merlin Bird ID or Star Walk 2?
Merlin Bird ID starts at Free and Star Walk 2 at Free.
Does Merlin Bird ID or Star Walk 2 run on more platforms?
Merlin Bird ID runs on iOS, Android. Star Walk 2 runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Merlin Bird ID for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Star Walk 2 is typically brought in for.
What can Merlin Bird ID do that Star Walk 2 cannot?
Merlin Bird ID covers Sound ID, Photo ID, Step-by-step ID, Offline regional packs. Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view, Time travel mode, Satellite tracking, Night mode.

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.

Star Walk 2: Is Star Walk 2 free?

A free ad-supported version exists; Star Walk 2 Plus removes ads and adds content for a low annual or monthly fee.

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.

Star Walk 2: Does it support telescope control?

No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.

Merlin Bird ID: Does it work offline?

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

Star Walk 2: How does it compare to SkySafari on price?

It is substantially cheaper, but with a much smaller star and deep-sky object catalogue.

Share

Related pages

More on Merlin Bird ID

More on Star Walk 2

Keep looking

Other head to heads