Spotter
Spotter identifies birds alongside plants, mammals, reptiles, insects, fungi, rocks, and more — all from a single photo. While Merlin specializes exclusively in birds, Spotter is for naturalists who encounter more than just birds on their adventures.
Merlin Bird ID
Merlin Bird ID, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely regarded as the best bird identification app available. It identifies birds by photo, sound, and description, with downloadable offline species packs and an enormous bird database. It is completely free.
Feature Comparison
Spotter is best for
- Naturalists who identify birds, plants, insects, and fungi on the same outing
- Hikers who need one app for everything on the trail
- Users who want safety notes and multi-category identification in one place
Merlin Bird ID is best for
- Dedicated birders who want the deepest, most accurate bird identification available
- Birders who want real-time sound identification
- Those who want free, complete offline bird packs
- eBird integration for logging sightings
Our Verdict
If you are primarily a birder, Merlin Bird ID is exceptional and completely free — it is hard to beat for birds specifically. Spotter is the better choice for hikers and naturalists who encounter birds alongside plants, fungi, rocks, and mammals, and want one app for all of it.
Try Spotter free
5 free identifications every day. Identify plants, animals, fungi, rocks, and more — all in one app.