Comparison

Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus vs Infrared Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus

Capture and analyze thermal images with time-lapse capabilities. Monitor temperature changes, mark specific regions for analysis, and export data for further study. Requires a FLIR ONE accessory.

Highlights
  • Time-lapse thermal photography
  • Mark temperature locations/regions
  • Min/max/average temperature analysis
  • Live temperature graphing
  • Export data to Graphical Analysis
  • Real-time and time-lapse video capture
Features
Read full description

Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus for FLIR ONE offers all the great features of Vernier Thermal Analysis, and adds time-lapse thermal photography! Mark up to four locations or regions on a thermal image. In a selected region, you can determine minimum, maximum or average temperature. Graph temperature data live during an experiment, then export to our Graphical Analysis app for further analysis. Thermal image videos can also be exported to the Photos app. Videos can be captured in real-time or time-lapse. Non-contact temperature data collection with video can be used to observe temperature changes on the skin, illustrate convection, show heating due to friction, and more. Compare heat conduction in different materials or compare the transparency of materials in infrared vs. visible light. What will you explore? With the new time-lapse recording feature, record temperature changes over longer timespans and play it back at 2x, 4x or as fast as 2000x! - Requires FLIR ONE accessory for iPhone. - Compatible with FLIR ONE PRO, FLIR ONE (2nd generation), and FLIR ONE (3rd generation).

About

Infrared Explorer

Read full description

Infrared Explorer turns a phone with a FLIR ONE thermal camera into a science instrument for the classroom, the lab and the field. SEE HEAT Point the camera at anything and watch temperature become color, live. Switch palettes, lock or free the temperature range, and read the value under the crosshair. RECORD AND ANALYZE Capture thermal clips that keep the temperature of every pixel, then play them back with thermometers and analysis tools. Compare a kettle coming to the boil, a running motor, or the wall of your school on a cold morning. TIME-LAPSE Leave the camera watching for up to 24 hours: one thermal frame every few seconds or minutes, played back as a film. With a wired FLIR ONE, the recording carries on with the phone locked, and a Live Activity on the lock screen shows its progress. LEARN WITH REAL DATA Lessons and a Showcase of experiments from other classrooms give you something to try today. A Video Store of sample recordings works without any camera attached. MAP THE INVISIBLE Infrared Street View captures panoramas with their temperatures, geotags them and shares them on a map with other explorers. GO FURTHER Sign in to upload recordings to the cloud, join a class, and have an AI model draft a lab report from your own data. Requires a FLIR ONE thermal camera: FLIR ONE Gen 3, Pro or Pro LT with the connector that matches your iPhone, or a FLIR ONE Edge / Edge Pro over Wi-Fi. Without a camera, the sample recordings and the built-in simulator let you explore every feature. Infrared Explorer is made by the Institute for Future Intelligence, a nonprofit. It is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus4 screens
Infrared Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Infrared Explorer at Free against Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus's $9.99. Infrared Explorer also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 6 months). Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Infrared Explorer is free to download; Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus ships an update every 6 months, Infrared Explorer daily. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus versus Infrared Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVernier Thermal Analysis PlusInfrared Explorer
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating2.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB141 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVernier Software & TechnologyInstitute for Future Intelligence

In-app purchases

None

Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus

No in-app purchases

None

Infrared Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus free?
Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Infrared Explorer free?
Infrared Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus or Infrared Explorer have ads?
Neither Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus nor Infrared Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus or Infrared Explorer?
Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus ships an update every 6 months, and Infrared Explorer daily. Most recently, Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus was updated on November 2, 2026 and Infrared Explorer on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons