INaturalist
iNaturalist is a citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. Users can upload photos and identifications of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms to contribute data for scientific research.
biodiversity
citizen-science
nature
science
research
conservation
iNaturalist: Citizen Science Platform for Biodiversity Observation
iNaturalist is a citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. Users can upload photos and identifications of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms to contribute data for scientific research.
What is INaturalist?
iNaturalist is a popular citizen science platform and online social network used by naturalists, biologists, and nature enthusiasts to map and share observations of biodiversity across the globe. It enables users to record and share photographs and information about the plants, animals, fungi and other organisms they encounter in nature, which scientists and researchers can then access and use as data for their studies.
On iNaturalist, users can post images and details about the location, time, species name and other characteristics of organisms they have observed. The crowdsourced data is then validated and confirmed by the iNaturalist community or experts before being made available for download. Users earn rankings and reputation based on the quantity and quality of observations they contribute.
Some key features of iNaturalist include:
- Image recognition and suggestions to help identify species
- Customizable project and group capabilities for focused data collection
- User profile and stats showing personal observations over time
- Interactive maps and graphs showing recorded distributions of species
- Computer vision and crowdsourced identifications to confirm species
- Integration with external databases like GBIF and GenBank for taxonomy and DNA barcoding data
By engaging public participants around the world in documenting biodiversity, iNaturalist provides valuable open data to power science and conservation efforts.
INaturalist Features
Features
- Record and share observations of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms
- Upload photos to get help with identifications from the community
- View observations from the global community
- Explore species maps and graphs
- Join projects and help contribute data for scientific research
Pricing
- Freemium
Pros
Free to use
Large global community that helps with identifications
Contributes data to scientific research projects
Good for learning about local biodiversity and nature
Available as mobile apps and website
Cons
Identification accuracy depends on community, can be unreliable
Limited customization and control compared to paid tools
Potential privacy concerns sharing location data
Can be confusing for beginners
Mobile apps lack some features of website
Official Links
The Best INaturalist Alternatives
Top Science & Education and Citizen Science and other similar apps like INaturalist
Here are some alternatives to INaturalist:
Suggest an alternative ❐
PlantSnap
PlantSnap is a mobile application available for iOS and Android devices that allows users to identify plants and flowers simply by taking a photo. The app has an extensive database of over 680,000 known species of plants, trees, mushrooms, cacti and succulents that it uses to match the photo and...
Pl@ntNet
Pl@ntNet is a free mobile application and online platform that allows users to identify plant species simply by taking a photograph of a plant's leaf, flower, fruit, bark or landscape view. It utilizes advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms to analyze the uploaded images and suggest identifications for the...
Gardenia
Gardenia is a versatile vector graphics and diagramming software application available for Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems. As an open-source program, Gardenia is completely free to download and use.Some of the key features of Gardenia include:Intuitive drag-and-drop user interface for easy diagram drawingAdvanced editing tools for illustrations and technical...
Flora Incognita
Flora Incognita is a mobile app for identifying plant species using images taken with a phone camera. It was developed by researchers at the Technical University of Ilmenau in Germany and utilizes AI and machine learning for plant recognition.To use Flora Incognita, users simply take a photo of an unknown...
Botan: Plant Identifier
Botan is a mobile app available for iOS and Android that assists users in identifying plants. It has an extensive database with over 30,000 different plant species that aids in providing accurate identifications.To use Botan, simply take a photo of any distinguishable plant feature such as a leaf, flower, fruit,...
Leafsnap
Leafsnap is a free mobile app developed in collaboration between researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution. The app allows users to identify tree species from photographs of their leaves. Leafsnap uses visual recognition software to compare the leaf images uploaded by users to a...
IPflanzen
iPflanzen is a software application designed specifically for home gardeners and plant enthusiasts. It serves as a central platform to help keep track of important details about one's plants and gardens.At its core, iPflanzen allows users to log a variety of plant data such as watering and fertilizing schedules, soil...
HortusFox
HortusFox is a comprehensive business management platform designed specifically for florists, garden centers, nurseries, and growers. It brings all the critical operations together into one centralized system to help streamline workflows and drive efficiency.Key features of HortusFox include:Centralized inventory management with real-time visibility into stock levels across multiple locationsIntuitive order...
Plant Parent
Plant Parent is a mobile app available on iOS and Android that assists users with caring for their houseplants. It contains an extensive database of thousands of different houseplants along with each plant's ideal lighting, water, humidity, and soil needs.When a user adds a plant to their app, Plant Parent...
SmartPlant
SmartPlant is a comprehensive engineering design software solution used widely in capital-intensive industries like power, process, and marine. It provides advanced 3D modeling capabilities for plant and ship design, allowing engineering teams to create digital representations of physical assets and systems.Some of the key capabilities offered by SmartPlant include:Detailed structural...
Plantifier
Plantifier is a software designed specifically for landscaping and garden design. It provides users with a large library containing over 4,000 realistic plants, trees, materials and elements that can be added to create detailed plans and layouts for yards, gardens, patios, and other outdoor spaces.The intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it...
Garden Answers Plant Id
Garden Answers Plant Id is a comprehensive plant and insect identification app designed to easily identify plants, flowers, trees, and bugs. It has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows you to simply snap a photo of any plant or insect in your garden or yard and instantly get accurate...
FlowerChecker
FlowerChecker is a revolutionary mobile application for flower enthusiasts and gardeners. With its innovative image recognition technology, users can easily identify nearly any type of flower.To use FlowerChecker, simply open the app and snap a photo of the flower you want to identify. The app will quickly analyze the image...
