Honest comparison
GilledIt vs Fishbrain
Which Fishing App Is Better for American Anglers?
Last updated: August 2026
Fishbrain is the world’s largest fishing app, Fishbrain reports 20M+ registered users (2026 App Store listing), with a strong US presence. It offers AI bite predictions, a social feed, and a large community. But Fishbrain’s free tier is extremely limited. Maps, predictions, and catch location data are all paywalled behind a Pro subscription ($9.99/month or $74.99/year, checked August 2026). GilledIt offers the complete package for American anglers: 156 US species, all popular fishing methods including bass, walleye, crappie, and catfish, a built-in marketplace no other fishing app offers, and core features that are genuinely free.
Feature by feature
Side-by-Side Comparison
How GilledIt and Fishbrain compare across every feature that matters to American anglers.
| Feature | GilledIt | Fishbrain |
|---|---|---|
| Catch Logging | Yes | Yes |
| US Species (156) | Yes | Partial |
| Bass Fishing Support | Yes | Yes |
| Walleye / Crappie / Catfish | Yes | Partial |
| US Bait & Lure Database | Yes | Partial |
| Social Feed | Yes | Yes |
| Marketplace | Yes | No |
| Challenges & Badges | Yes | Partial |
| Interactive Map | Yes | Partial |
| Messaging | Yes | Partial |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Partial |
| US Focus | Yes | Yes |
| Free Core Features | Yes | No |
| Price | Free + Premium | $9.99/mo Pro |
Competitor pricing and claims checked August 2026 against: Fishbrain on the App Store. GilledIt feature data comes from our own app.
Advantages
Where GilledIt Wins
Free Tier That Actually Works
Fishbrain’s free tier is widely criticised in user reviews as too limited to be useful. Maps, predictions, and catch locations are all paywalled behind Fishbrain Pro at $9.99 per month. GilledIt’s core features (catch logging, social feed, map, messaging, and challenges) are free to use. No credit card required to get started.
Built-In Tackle Marketplace
No other fishing app lets you buy and sell fishing tackle directly. GilledIt’s marketplace features Stripe-powered payments, offer negotiation, and seller dashboards. It replaces scattered Facebook Marketplace groups for tackle trading with a purpose-built platform.
Gamification: Challenges, Leaderboards, and Badges
Weekly challenges (biggest catch, most species, most sessions), leaderboards, 30+ badges across seven categories, and an XP-based levelling system keep you engaged between sessions. Fishbrain has limited challenge features and no comparable badge or levelling system.
Broader Species Coverage (156 US Species)
Fishbrain’s bite predictions and detailed data are concentrated on popular game fish. GilledIt supports 156 US species including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, catfish, trout, steelhead, muskie, and panfish, covering everything from tournament bass to casual pond fishing.
Being honest
Where Fishbrain Wins
We believe in honest comparisons. Here is where the competition has an edge.
Larger Global Community (20M+ Reported Users)
Fishbrain reports 20M+ registered users (2026 App Store listing), with a particularly strong US presence. If you want the largest possible community and the most catch data in popular US fishing spots, Fishbrain has the bigger network. GilledIt’s community is growing rapidly.
AI Bite Time Predictions
Fishbrain’s bite predictions use solunar data and community catch patterns to suggest the best times to fish for specific species. This is a genuinely useful feature for trip planning, especially for bass. GilledIt does not currently offer bite time predictions.
The verdict
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Fishbrain if:
You want the largest fishing community and AI bite predictions, and you are willing to pay $9.99 per month for Fishbrain Pro. You primarily fish for popular game fish like bass.
Choose GilledIt if:
You want a fishing app with free core features that actually work. You want a marketplace for buying and selling tackle, gamification with challenges and badges, and support for 156 US species. You want community features without a paywall.
Fishbrain is the world’s biggest fishing app, but the best features require an expensive subscription. GilledIt offers more features for free, includes a unique marketplace, and supports 156 US species with no paywall on core functionality.
FAQ: GilledIt vs Fishbrain
Fishbrain Pro costs $9.99 per month (or $74.99 per year) and unlocks maps, bite predictions, and catch location data. Many users feel the free tier is too limited to be useful. Whether the Pro subscription is worth it depends on how much you value bite predictions. GilledIt offers core features including catch logging, social feed, map, messaging, and challenges for free.
Fishbrain has a free tier, but many users report it is too limited to be useful. Key features like detailed maps, bite predictions, and catch location data require Fishbrain Pro, which costs $9.99 per month or $74.99 per year. GilledIt offers core features including catch logging, social feed, map, messaging, and challenges for free.
GilledIt is a strong Fishbrain alternative for American anglers. It supports 156 US species, includes a built-in marketplace and gamification features that Fishbrain lacks, and core features are free to use. FishAngler is another free option.
Yes, Fishbrain has strong bass fishing support with bite predictions for largemouth and smallmouth bass. However, these features require a Pro subscription ($9.99/month). GilledIt also fully supports bass fishing with all methods and species, and core features are free.
Fishbrain Pro costs $9.99 per month, or $74.99 per year on the annual plan (checked August 2026). Fishbrain’s free tier is available but has very limited functionality. GilledIt’s core features are free.
Anglers report frustration with Fishbrain’s expensive Pro subscription, the limited free tier, app crashes, poor customer support, and the lack of a marketplace. GilledIt offers free core features, a built-in marketplace, gamification, and support for 156 US species.
Try GilledIt Free
The all-in-one fishing app for American anglers. Catch logging, social feed, marketplace, challenges, and 156 US species. Switch in two minutes.
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