iNaturalist Classic
Connect with Nature
How much does iNaturalist Classic cost?
Prices are current as of 11 Sept 2026.
iNaturalist Classic has no in-app products on record in the United States.
10+ alternatives to iNaturalist Classic
| iNaturalist Classic |   PlantSnap - Plant Scanner |   Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab |   Picture Insect: Bug Identifier |   Picture Mushroom: Identifier |   PlantNet |   Plant Identifier: Plantiary |   Audubon Bird Guide |   Birda - Bird Watching, Birding |   Amino Acid Quiz |   eBird | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| Reviews | 9.3K | 162K | 155K | 78K | 66K | 47K | 31K | 5K | 4.6K | 2.3K | 1.4K |
| Released | 2011 | 2019 | 2013 | 2019 | 2019 | 2013 | 2021 | 2009 | 2021 | 2017 | 2015 |
| Weekly price | — | $2.99 | — | $2.99 | $2.99 | — | $6.99 | — | — | — | — |
| Monthly price | — | $2.99 | — | $5.99 | $5.99 | — | — | — | $9.99 | — | — |
| Annual price | — | $39.99 | — | $39.99 | $29.99 | — | $39.99 | — | $39.99 | — | — |
| One-time price | — | $29.99 | — | — | $0.99 | — | — | — | — | $0.99 | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
iNaturalist Classic reviews
4.6 out of 5, based on 9,348 reviews.
What people like
- Helps you identify plants and animals easily
- Great for learning about local nature
- Good community helps with species ID
- Works well even without internet connection
What they complain about
- You must share personal data to use it
- App crashes often or won't open
- Uploads fail or get stuck
- Community can be aggressive and toxic
Buenisimo
Excelente para identificar especies
Cancel Renew Subscription
Not able to cancel auto subscription.
Followers
It’s a good app. I love to look at the animals- especially the wooly chafers. However, it seems that the app is unfortunately not as advanced as the website, which, I for one, think is a massive flaw. I would like to be following my fellow naturalists, and we have spent the past 15 minutes trying to figure out how to solve this problem. Little did we know, this problem is undoubtedly unsolvable. It’s unfortunate that this is the case, I’ll have to go on my computer in a few days to resolve this issue. And again, This application should be much more flexible. How else are we going to post all our observations?
Better than the new app but not by much
This app needs a lot of work but unfortunately they seem to be putting all their energy into the Android versions. Classic is still easier to use and interact with than the newer iPhone app, but functionality for identifying is limited and the "explore" feature is useless, only showing you some of the nearby observations and in no apparent particular chronological order even though you can sort "newest to oldest". I have both versions on my phone and use Classic most of the time. Overall though, I have been very disappointed since changing from Android to iPhone. It works fine for making observations in the field, but if you want to do much more you will be far better off waiting until you can get to a desktop. Unfortunately, that ends up meaning I use the platform less than I otherwise would.
Inconsistent
It’s a great concept, but my experience so far is that the App is glitchy. It regularly crashes and closes when I’m in the middle of entering data. And often it doesn’t save edits.
LionsandTigersandBears, oh my!
Of all the apps I've used this is the most amazing and helpful! I love the help and input of others! Thank you.
Stopped confirming observations
Used to get confirmations of observations….mostly Now nothing
Where is the favorites section ?
How do I save someone’s find to come back to later? I have “favorited” but there is no favorites section to come back to.
Less functionality than the Android version
I recently switched to an iPhone and I thought this Classic version of the app was the same as the Android version. But I'm shocked to find that this app lacks the Compare feature. That feature is critical to avoiding confirmation bias in the Computer Vision model and helping users learn to find distinguishing characteristics. We should not thoughtlessly feed photos to an AI. This is not Seek, where you get told the answer; we should be learning with help from the CV model. I'm very disappointed that neither app lives up to the Android version.
Altitud de las observaciones
Porque no me sube la fecha y la hora de la fotografía? Las tengo que capturar manual. Sigue con el problema de no mostrarme la fecha y hora de la toma de la fotografía
An Amazing Tool
iNaturalist is an awesome tool for both the curious observer and researchers alike!
Everything is public
I wish there was a way to make identifications private. I want to track my ids, but I’m not interested in this society of ego where you have to show off everything you do. Sad that there’s not an option for this. It doesn’t all have to be research.
Great App but no Extra Info for iPhone Users
I love this app! It has a lot of useful information; however, on the iPhone app, the extra information tab about species is not accessible in the app - there is just a link to the website to see more. Additionally, the interface and search could be made more friendly, but otherwise this is amazing app with a supportive scientific community.
Muy confusa y la interfaz deja mucho que desear
.
Nature is what it is all about
This app really helped me get closer to nature and wildlife
iNaturalists
iNaturalists is GREAT, FANTASTIC, FACINATING! Also fun and a great way to contribute to the science of nature all around us. Just take some pictures of wildlife/nature around you. Post it on iNaturalists. Find out intereasting things. If you choose get connected to like minded nature lovers , citizen scientist , and scientists
iNaturalist DOES NOT need AI
This app and space is fantastic as is and does not need generative AI to make it better. Allow citizen science to REMAIN citizen science!
Great but could be improved
Love the app for identification and info but would be better if it allowed upload to continue in background instead of having to wait for the upload before doing anything else, it’s usually slow to upload so this is inconvenient. Also allowing multiple uploads at once would be good too.
No longer uploading
App stopped uploading. I hit upload, it syncs then goes back to “1 Observation to upload”.
Wonderful citizen science
I love the iNaturalist community, sharing images, info and helping each other with taxonomy. The app has a few good features but it’s also quite clunky in some areas. The good: The ability to upload while offline. Suggested ID, and the option to limit this to local species. Commenting and discussions. The bad: You can’t download your observations for access while offline. You can’t sort your observations by anything except date added. Making it super hard to find species. I’d like to sort by name, either binomial or common. You can’t view your observations as a grid in the iOS app, only in the browser. The search is abysmal, to search your own observations you have to go to ‘explore’ then tap ‘search my observations’ then unless you have the binomial name memorised I find it impossible. It also suggests plants that you haven’t even ID’d. The ability to follow others or see those you follow is only is the web version, not the app. All in all, I’m a fan but the app could do with some work.
Classic is sometimes better!
I’ve been using iNaturalist & Seek for over 3 years. While the new iNaturalist app is alright, this one is my #1 go-to for any IDs I want to upload or contribute to. It’s faster, uploads are more stable, and is exactly how I like to manage observations. I really only use the newer version for the integrated Seek-like IDing feature and for filtering observations. I think I’d be devastated if this one was suspended…
iNAT is now selling data to google for generative AI
Not what we signed up for, terrible decision overlooking consent and the original purpose of the app.
App
App has always worked great but the last couple of days it won’t open just immediately crashes and when l click on app support just takes me to info about the app. I’ve deleted off phone and re downloaded but still does the same thing.
Un peu déçu
L’application ne fonctionne bien que si on fait une croix sur la confidentialité de ses données personnelles, mail, login, géolocalisation. Sinon on n’arrive même pas avoir le début de l’identification d’une observation qu’on a faite. L’interface est confuse, des menus dans tout les sens qui mènent vers d’autres menus, c’est bizarre. Donc, oui, déçu et pas certain de la sécurité des données perso avec cette appli.
App crashes when scrolling observations
Whenever I scroll the photos from others peoples’ observations, the app crashes when I get to the third or 4th image. On iPhone 12 mini.
Evaluating plant types
Reliable IDs and helpful data.
GenAI
iNaturalist has jumped into bed with google to incorporate GenAI into their app. GenAI is notoriously incorrect and famously bad for the environment. This isn’t just a crass and short-sighted move but it is also genuinely dangerous once it misidentifies a plant that is toxic.
Nope
In order to create an account, I MUST agree to share my personal data. NO! I can/will share the data in specific instances, but NOT as a global permission.
INaturalist app is not working.
Shortly after confirming email with INaturalist the app crashes, or kicks me out instantly.
Langue
Dommage que l’anglais ne soit que la seule option pour les vidéos tutoriel et presque partout ailleurs même pour faire un achat les prix ne sont pas transformé en dollar canadiens Mais pour le reste bravo 👍
Science!
You don’t need a fancy degree to get involved and contribute to monitoring and preserving earths natural wonders. Love this app!
The most frustrating website ever!
Whoever designed and came up with this abomination of a web site should be tarred and feather and run out of town!
The app version..
As a huge fan of iNatralist I can say for a fact that this app is missing a lot from the website. To be honest I just want the ability to duplicate an observation (which I don’t believe you can do on the app, but if you can, let me know). I just really hope some new features get added in a new update other than that though, it’s a great app! :) Almost 5 stars
Сравнительно с Андроид - плохо.
Приложение на Андроид идеальное, в то время как на iOS оно исключительно никак. Не удобно сравнивать виды, не удобно определять чужие виды.
Crashing when reading notifications.
I adore this app and the functions but it does keep crashing and shutting down whenever I open any notifications and that’s incredibly frustrating.
Backyard Biology
So cool to learn about the natural environment in my own space.
Must allow your information to be shared to the USA to use app
BEWARE!!!!! You cannot use this app without allowing your data and information to be sold to the USA. This is absolutely unacceptable to a foreign user. The USA data policies are shameful for an international standard.
Great app! Should make a widget!
Would be 5 stars if they had a widget! Can’t count how many times I’m scrambling opening up my camera to ID some new creature or plant!! It would be great to just click a button from the Home Screen that takes you right to the sound ID/ photo ID.
I…
The most complicated sign in I’ve ever done. If you want an app that does practically nothing, takes all your person details and sends them to the United States Of America, this is the app for you! If not, don't even bother downloading this app. Seek is so much better get Seek instead.
Zu schwierig
Zwischenspeicherung aller Sichtungen wäre gut, braucht zu viel Zeit, Akku und Datenvolumen! Telefonbilder von z. B. fliegenden Graureihern oder balzenden Buntspechten sind nahezu unmöglich! Anzahl und Geschlecht fehlen! Es zählen nur Beobachtungen mit Bild, verstehe ich, finde allerdings, daß entfernte Vögel nahezu kaum erkennbar sind! Mit dem Fernglas sehe ich sie gut! Also zu wenig ressourcenschonend, zu langsam, zu wenig Details (z.B. Anzahl). Die Blühpflanzenvorschläge fand ich nett. Ich bin nahezu täglich ornithologisch unterwegs und gebe die Beobachtungen gern in ein leicht zu bedienendes, schnelles, ressourcenschonendes Tool ein.
Science for everyone
I love how accessible this app makes learning about plants I see everyday.
App not working
App keeps saying error uploading observation's? Found out why, apparently you have to put your credit card info in now, not comfortable with that, it’s supposed to be a free app. Seems since the recent publicity greedy developers are cashing in. Sad:(
Having issues
I can’t upload my observations, please fix!
Broken sign up and login
Google SSO does not work, weird password rules, iPhone did not store credentials, password reset does not send, keeps asking me to change locale to UK but never actually does it. Crap
Faltan los filtros
Frustrante no poder activar filtros en el celular para búsqueda por tipo de organismo
I love you iNaturalist
I have like 300 observations of critters that I’ve posted and I want more. This site has a thorough amount of info on the taxonomy and behaviors and pictures of a lot of species which makes identifying bugs and birds and fish and plants and pretty much everything substantially easier. I don’t think there’s a better site for it. This also has info on ranges that is really useful as well as indicating species that are threatened, native or nonnative. The website on computer is better for this (as well as sorting by sex, dead or alive, age of organism) so updates for mobile would be helpful— the new iNaturalist app might be advancing in these but I wouldn’t know because I think this app is leagues better in terms of organization and efficiency, it makes more sense here.
Toxic community
I have never participated in a more demeaning aggressive toxic and all around negative community in my life I contributed for over a year to have 90% of my observations i know a correct be altered to something it’s clearly not by an aggressive community who it seems wants to show off their inability to identify animals. I proved this by legitimately taking a picture of a painting of a grey heron and the community gave me all sorts of negative comments saying i had no business identifying animals because its obviously a great blue heron till i reposted the picture with the title show of grey heron. And i said that i cant participate in this toxicity anymore. Not worth the time. Good concept bad execution.
App not working
App will not open since the day after the last update.
Photo et téléchargement
Beaucoup de bugs
Fotos
Wie bekomme ich Fotos auf die App, die ich normal fotografiert habe.?
iNaturalist Classic FAQ
- Is iNaturalist Classic free?
- Yes. The app is free, in all 175 countries it sells in, and it sells nothing inside it.
- Does iNaturalist Classic have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- What are the best alternatives to iNaturalist Classic?
- PlantSnap - Plant Scanner (4.5 from 162,469 reviews, premium from $0.99), Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab (4.9 from 154,943 reviews) and Picture Insect: Bug Identifier (4.6 from 78,119 reviews, premium from $2.99).
iNaturalist Classic download
Last updated 1 year ago.
iNaturalist Classic sells in 175 countries. It was released 15 years and 7 months ago, on 25 Feb 2011. It holds a 4.6 rating from 9,348 reviews.
Supports 32 languages: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Chinese, Sinhala, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian.
How much does iNaturalist Classic make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.