Birefringence vs Caratec
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Birefringence
This interactive tool helps identify minerals by calculating birefringence based on observed color and section thickness. It features a comprehensive database and offers two display modes for clarity.
- Interactive Michel-Lévy color chart
- Database of 562 minerals
- Automatic birefringence calculation
- Adjustable chart range (200-2500 nm)
- Simple display mode
- Includes optical and physical mineral characteristics
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An interactive Michel-Lévy interference color chart that features a database of 562 minerals. Click on your observed color and section thickness, and the birefringence of your section will be automatically calculated, and candidate minerals will be suggested. The range of the chart can be be set to between 200 nm and 2500 nm. The chart can be offset by + or - λ, + or - λ/4. The chart can be used as a traditional nomogram, or displayed in a "simple" mode without the clutter of radial lines (which are no longer necessary on an interactive chart). Based on the methods of Sørensen (2013), the colors in the chart are a much truer representation of the colors seen at the microscope eye pieces than existing printed nomograms. The app includes optical and physical characteristics of candidate minerals including birefringence (minimum, maximum and mean), relief, optical character, pleochroism, color and cleavage. The app includes the Raith-Sørensen color chart, which is also interactive. The Raith-Sørensen chart is a direct representation of interference color as a function of birefringence and sample thickness (Sørensen 2013). A useful utility for polarized light microscopy, polariscopy, optical mineralogy, stress optics, or anyone with an interest in birefringent materials.
Caratec
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This APP is only for CARATEC Lithium Battery which based on bluetooth 4.0 BLE technology 1.CARATEC is used for monitoring Lithium battery. 2. Measuring distance no more than 5m. 3. The APP only can connect one LiFePO4 battery every time. 4. This APP can monitoring voltage, current, temperature and cycle life, etc
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Caratec at Free against Birefringence's $2.99. Caratec also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Birefringence's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 42 months). 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
Caratec is free to download; Birefringence costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Birefringence ships an update every 6 weeks, Caratec every 42 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Birefringence | Caratec |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (9 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 42 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Barlow | 宗辉 姜 |
In-app purchases
Birefringence
No in-app purchases
Caratec
No in-app purchases
