# Cat Scanner vs Picture Fish

The clearest difference is ads: Picture Fish at none against Cat Scanner's shown. Cat Scanner's advantage is review sentiment (49% vs 36%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cat Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days and Picture Fish sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Cat Scanner against 4.5 for Picture Fish. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7K and 5.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Cat Scanner's written reviews are positive against 36% of Picture Fish's.

Cat Scanner ships an update fortnightly, Picture Fish every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cat Scanner | Picture Fish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-scanner/id1447491786/reviews)** | [4.5 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picture-fish-fish-identifier/id1474584436/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 5.4K |
| Positive reviews | **49.2% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 148 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Siwalu Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447489157) | [Next Vision Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1532006906) |

## What reviewers say

### Cat Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-scanner/id1447491786)

Instantly identify cat breeds by taking a photo, recording a video, or uploading an image. The app also recognizes mixed breeds and even identifies which cat breeds humans resemble. Join a community to share results, interact with other cat lovers, and compete in gamified challenges.

**Highlights:** Cat breed identification from photos, Video and gallery image scanning, Mixed breed recognition, Human resemblance to cat breeds, Community social feed, Gamified challenges and rankings, Offline scanning (premium)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| All Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Cat Scanner Premium | $13.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate cat breed identification
- 👍 Fun and entertaining app
- 🤖 Able to scan different animals, not just cats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent and inaccurate results
- 💤 App crashes or freezes frequently
- 📺 Excessive ads that disrupt user experience
- 🤖 Struggles to differentiate between cats and other animals

**Reported bugs**

- Scan results change drastically with each attempt
- App crashes when trying to view past scan results
- Unable to follow or interact with other users

**Requested features**

- Ability to block or report users
- Improved accuracy and consistency in breed identification
- Option to disable ads or pay for ad-free version
- Support for video scanning in addition to photos


### Picture Fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picture-fish-fish-identifier/id1474584436)

Instantly identify fish species by taking or uploading a photo. Access a vast database with detailed information and helpful tips for fish keeping. Connect with a community for shared knowledge and insights.

**Highlights:** Fast and accurate fish identification, Database of 2500+ fish species, Fish keeping tips and advice, Community forum for fish enthusiasts, Extensive fish information database, User-friendly interface

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Picture Fish Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Picture Fish Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Picture Fish Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Picture Fish Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Picture Fish Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick and accurate fish identification
- 👍 Helpful for learning about fish species
- 💡 Useful for anglers and aquarium hobbyists
- 🚀 Easy and fast to use
- 👍 Keeps a library of identified fish

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate fish identification in many cases
- 🤑 Expensive subscription model
- 🤯 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🤔 Inconsistent performance, hit-or-miss results
- 😡 Charges users without consent

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrectly identifies common fish species
- Fails to recognize fish in clear photos
- Charges users without their knowledge or consent
- Difficult to cancel subscription and get refunds

**Requested features**

- Add more fish species to the database
- Improve accuracy of fish identification
- Allow users to manually correct fish identifications
- Provide more detailed information about fish
- Implement a free version without subscription


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cat Scanner free?

Cat Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Picture Fish free?

Picture Fish is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cat Scanner or Picture Fish?

Cat Scanner is rated higher. Cat Scanner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while Picture Fish averages 4.5 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do Cat Scanner or Picture Fish have ads?

Cat Scanner shows ads; Picture Fish does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cat Scanner or Picture Fish?

Cat Scanner ships an update fortnightly, and Picture Fish every 5 weeks. Most recently, Cat Scanner was updated on November 6, 2026 and Picture Fish on November 6, 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.*