Comparison

MetaMorphos vs Underfoot

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MetaMorphos

Features
Read full description

We live in a three-dimensional world and in this, like all living organisms, we have a length, a width and a thickness. The study of animals, The Zoology, involves the understanding of body plans: without describing the structure of an organ or an organic system, the functioning of it is incomprehensible. If we live well in a three-dimensional world, the explanatory means at our disposal still pass most of the time through two-dimensional supports: the blackboard of the professors, the data projector screen, the drawings or the photographs we have give us 2D images of objects or structures that we describe and analyze. MetaMorphos (Metazoan Morphology) is a program that illustrates metazoan structure plans by high quality 3D reconstructions. It is aimed at people who want to understand animal architecture whether naturalist amateurs, professional zoologists, students or professors in biology. MetaMorphos 2.15 is the third version of the program and comprises fifteen organisms: an anthozoan (Cnidaria), a comb jelly (Ctenophora), a flatworm (Platyhelminthes), a polychaete (Annelida), a gastropod (Mollusca), a nematod (Nematoda), a sea cucumber (Echinodermata), an ascidian (Urochordata), etc. The organisms presented in MetaMorphos are avatars, that is to say 3D reconstructions of typical organisms regrouping the major characteristics of high-ranking taxa in the Linnean hierarchy, usually classes. MetaMorphos allows to analyze the external morphology of the avatars as well as its systemic organization. The visualized organic systems are the digestive, excretory, nervous, reproductive, circulatory, and respiratory systems with some other unique systems observed in certain taxa as well (e.g., the ambulacral system of echinoderms). An organic system can be visualized alone or with other systems, either in toto or without representation of the translucent body of the animal. A cursor is used to identify the systemic parts. The avatar can be oriented in all the dimensions of the space and a function "zoom" makes it possible to magnify the part of the body in analysis. A Body Plan is a modeled morphological organization that characterizes a set of species that are part of a high-ranking taxa, usually a phylum or a class. The term "BaΓΌplan" was introduced by the German embryologist Henry Woodger (1945), which he defined as the structure plan common to the species of a monophyletic group. It was mainly at Haeckel (1863, 1866, 1868, 1872, 1874, 1875) to whom we owe the sketch, still strongly present today, of the taxonomic division of metazoans into classes and phyla. In this Haeckel is also the first to divide the set of metazoans into groups comprising species with a similar structure of the body. Realisation: Igor Eeckhaut (zoologis) Nathan Puozzo (graphic designer) After original idea of Igor Eeckhaut.

About

Underfoot

Features
Read full description

Underfoot is a field guide for anyone who can't walk past a bug without stopping to look. Photograph an insect, spider, or under-a-rock critter, get an AI identification suggestion, and add an illustrated specimen card to your collection. HOW IT WORKS β€’ Identify and compare. Check the suggestion against real reference photos, or choose a different species from the guide. AI can make mistakes. β€’ Explore over 2,000 species. Browse insects, spiders, roly-polies, millipedes, snails, and other small creatures, with AI-generated illustrations in an ink-and-watercolor style. β€’ Keep your own photos. See your find beside a reference image, enlarge either photo, and explore available life-stage images. β€’ Collect wild finds. Save a species outside the bundled guide with an illustration generated for its card. β€’ Know where to look. Read habitat tips, see seasonal suggestions, and explore nearby parks and trails. β€’ Try something outside. Optional field activities and five observation walks help you slow down and notice more. QUIET BY DESIGN No public profiles, messaging, advertising SDKs, or cross-app tracking. Your nickname, collection photos, and field-activity progress stay on your device. Your collection is available offline. A parent should supervise a child's use. Photo identification requires your consent and an internet connection. Your selected photo goes through Underfoot's Firebase server to Google Gemini without your nickname or location. Anonymous identifiers, request counts, and technical diagnostics support the service; Google may retain requests for safety checks. Location is optional. See our privacy policy for details and deletion options. FREE & PRO Browse the field guide and collect your first 10 distinct species free. Underfoot Pro removes the collection limit with a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription. Prices are shown before purchase. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple account settings. Restore Purchases is available on the paywall. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://underfoot.web.app/privacy

Screenshots

MetaMorphos4 screens
Underfoot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MetaMorphos at none against Underfoot's 2. MetaMorphos also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). Underfoot's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 13 months). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Underfoot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. MetaMorphos asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MetaMorphos ships an update every 13 months, Underfoot every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
MetaMorphos versus Underfoot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetaMorphosUnderfoot
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 3 months β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS8.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size1.1 GB102 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversitΓ© de MonsJason Brannon

In-app purchases

None

MetaMorphos

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Underfoot

Subscriptions2
  • Underfoot Pro$2.991 Month
  • Underfoot Pro Annual$24.991 Year

Questions

Is MetaMorphos free?
MetaMorphos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Underfoot free?
Underfoot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MetaMorphos or Underfoot have ads?
Neither MetaMorphos nor Underfoot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MetaMorphos or Underfoot?
MetaMorphos ships an update every 13 months, and Underfoot every 3 months. Most recently, MetaMorphos was updated on October 20, 2026 and Underfoot on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons