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Education · head to head

Seek by iNaturalist vs SkySafari

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
SkySafari logo

SkySafari

Education

Astronomy app sold in three tiered editions, from a cheap star chart to telescope control

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Seek by iNaturalist has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; SkySafari the three tiers are separate purchases, so upgrading from Basic to Plus or Pro later means buying again rather than paying the price difference.
  • They diverge on capability: Seek by iNaturalist covers Offline identification, SkySafari covers Tiered editions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Seek by iNaturalist and SkySafari differ
AttributeSeek by iNaturalistSkySafari
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree, no ads and no in-app purchasesOne-time purchase per tier
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, macOS

Identical on both: 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 Seek by iNaturalist

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

Only in SkySafari

  • Tiered editions
  • Telescope control
  • Large object catalogue
  • Event finder
  • Observing log
  • Time control

What people use each for

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

Seek by iNaturalist

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

SkySafari

  • An amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tabletnot Seek by iNaturalist
  • A serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app providesnot Seek by iNaturalist
  • Someone planning an observing session who wants an event finder for conjunctions and eclipsesnot Seek by iNaturalist
  • A buyer choosing Basic first as a cheap star chart with no intention of telescope controlnot Seek by iNaturalist

Where each one falls short

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

SkySafari

  • The three tiers are separate purchases, so upgrading from Basic to Plus or Pro later means buying again rather than paying the price difference.
  • Even the Basic tier costs more than a comparable free or freemium app like Star Walk 2 for a casual user.
  • Telescope control only works with compatible motorised mounts, so it is useless to someone with a manual telescope or no telescope at all.
  • Pricing fluctuates with frequent promotional sales, so the list price is not a reliable guide to what most buyers actually pay.
  • The interface, particularly on the Pro tier, has a steeper learning curve than a simple AR sky map app aimed at casual users.

Pricing, plan by plan

Seek by iNaturalist

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

SkySafari

On request
  • SkySafari Basic$4.99/one-time
    • Core star chart
    • Modest object catalogue
    • No telescope control
  • SkySafari Plus$14.99/one-time
    • About 2.5 million stars and 32,000 deep-sky objects
    • Telescope control
    • Event finder and observing log
  • SkySafari Pro$29.99/one-time
    • Largest catalogue tier
    • Telescope control
    • Advanced observation planning tools

Which should you pick?

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

Choose SkySafari if

  • You need tiered editions.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
  • You also want telescope control.
SkySafari review

Questions people ask

Is Seek by iNaturalist or SkySafari better?
Neither clearly leads. Seek by iNaturalist starts at Free and SkySafari at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Seek by iNaturalist or SkySafari?
Seek by iNaturalist has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Seek by iNaturalist and On request for SkySafari.
Does Seek by iNaturalist or SkySafari run on more platforms?
Seek by iNaturalist runs on iOS, Android. SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
Can I use Seek by iNaturalist for free?
Yes. Seek by iNaturalist has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SkySafari starts at On request.
What is Seek by iNaturalist best used for?
Seek by iNaturalist is most often used for a parent wanting a nature app for a child without accounts, chat or data collection concerns, a hiker in an area with no signal who needs offline plant or insect identification, a teacher running an outdoor nature scavenger hunt with a class, anyone who wants broad wildlife identification without paying a subscription. Of those, a parent wanting a nature app for a child without accounts, chat or data collection concerns and a hiker in an area with no signal who needs offline plant or insect identification are not what SkySafari is typically brought in for.
What can Seek by iNaturalist do that SkySafari cannot?
Seek by iNaturalist covers Offline identification, No account required, Child-safe design, Species badges. SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Seek by iNaturalist: Is Seek really free?

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

SkySafari: What is the difference between Basic, Plus and Pro?

Basic is a simple star chart, Plus adds a much larger catalogue and telescope control, and Pro adds an even larger catalogue and advanced planning tools.

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.

SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?

Not as a discounted upgrade; each tier is sold as a separate one-time purchase.

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.

SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?

Only telescopes with compatible motorised mounts and a supported connection method can be controlled from the app.

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