Butterfly Id is a paid mobile field guide for UK butterfly species, providing identification keys and a sightings log for nature enthusiasts.
Product velocity
Dormant
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Reference
Sentiment
4.3
3 reviews
Nemesis
Fragmented field
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users report: Users hire this app for reliable, offline-accessible identification that does not rely on internet connectivity or ad-supported data harvesting.
For Nature enthusiasts, professional ecologists, and families seeking educational tools for wildlife identification.
What does it look like?
Key features
Taxonomic keying system designed for mobile devices. Revenue link: Category authority and technical barrier justifies the $3.99-$4.99 upfront price.
Full content download upon purchase. Revenue link: Removes connectivity dependency, supporting field use in remote areas.
Personalized record-keeping tool. Revenue link: Retention loop encourages repeat app usage.
How much does it cost?
Upfront paid model with no in-app purchases, relying on category authority to justify the cost.
Velocity
Dormant developmentopaqueShow more...
Butterfly Id - UK Field Guide has been effectively inactive for nearly three years, with the most recent update occurring in September 2023. The development cadence is non-existent, and the app has not received any feature updates or maintenance patches in over 1,000 days. Given the lack of activity, the app is classified as a zombie project.
Who built it?
Sunbird Images OHG
13+ apps tracked · Reference
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Review voice lately leans excited. Users appreciate high quality images and descriptive text provide a helpful identification tool for amateur butterfly enthusiasts and simple and intuitive interface design allows for quick identification while out in the field, but report limited photographic variety for each species makes accurate identification of similar looking butterflies difficult.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- High quality images and descriptive text provide a helpful identification tool for amateur butterfly enthusiasts
- Simple and intuitive interface design allows for quick identification while out in the field
- Absence of advertisements creates a clean and focused experience for users seeking wildlife information
- Limited photographic variety for each species makes accurate identification of similar looking butterflies difficult
50 of 50 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Excited overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 more frustration theme and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Butterfly Id - UK Field Guide
How's the Reference market?
The app occupies a premium reference niche, but the 35-month update silence risks its visibility in a category increasingly dominated by AI-driven, frequently updated identification tools.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
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Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Butterfly Id - UK Field Guide
Where is it heading?
Users report: The field-guide category is consolidating around AI-driven, community-verified platforms that offer real-time data. Butterfly Id's static, offline-only model is increasingly exposed to churn as users prioritize the broader utility of live-updating, AI-powered competitors.
- The 35-month update silence signals a shift to maintenance mode, which reduces the app's ability to compete with AI-driven identification tools.
- User requests for distribution maps and larval imagery remain unaddressed, creating a utility gap that drives advanced users toward more comprehensive, updated alternatives.
The SWOT
- KUSAM methodology creates a defensible taxonomic barrier
- Offline-first architecture ensures reliability in remote field conditions
- Ad-free design sustains a focused, premium-feeling user experience
- Integrate community-sourced distribution maps to address primary naturalist complaints
- Add caterpillar-stage imagery to capture the advanced-user segment
Next best moves
Pivot roadmap to include community-verified distribution maps because users cite missing range data as a primary utility gap → increase retention for advanced naturalists.
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's long update silence is not just a neglect issue…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The competitive outlook has shifted from stable to declining due to prolonged update inactivity and the increasing market dominance of AI-driven identification tools.
Bottom line
Butterfly Id maintains a niche through its specialized KUSAM methodology, but the lack of updates and missing advanced data limits its appeal. The developer must prioritize a content refresh to avoid obsolescence against modern, AI-driven competitors.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
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Report last updated