# Birefringence vs Caratec

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Birefringence | Caratec |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birefringence/id1354688131/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9** | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 42 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 14 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Barlow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229786938) | [宗辉 姜](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547364363) |

## What reviewers say

### Birefringence

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birefringence/id1354688131)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Caratec

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caratec/id1631667197)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Birefringence free?

Birefringence costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Caratec free?

Caratec is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Birefringence or Caratec have ads?

Neither Birefringence nor Caratec shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Birefringence or Caratec?

Birefringence ships an update every 6 weeks, and Caratec every 42 months. Most recently, Birefringence was updated on November 2, 2026 and Caratec on November 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*