# Instant Iris vs Curio

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Curio at 67% against Instant Iris's 0%. Curio also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 16 months). Instant Iris's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Curio sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Instant Iris asks for nothing beyond the download.

Curio holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Curio has 17K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Instant Iris's written reviews are positive against 67% of Curio's.

Instant Iris ships an update every 16 months, Curio weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Instant Iris | Curio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instant-iris/id1464047985/reviews) | **[4.8 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/curio-antique-identifier/id6520380757/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **17K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **66.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#37** |
| Size | 136 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tatiana Churanova](https://appshunter.io/developer/456152397) | [Dionysus Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738854903) |

## What reviewers say

### Instant Iris

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instant-iris/id1464047985)

Identify iris flower varieties from your camera. This app recognizes approximately 2900 different bearded, Siberian, and Japanese iris cultivars.

**Highlights:** Recognizes iris cultivars, Supports 2900+ varieties, Identifies bearded iris, Identifies Siberian iris, Identifies Japanese iris, Uses camera input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Curio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/curio-antique-identifier/id6520380757)

**Currently charting:** #37 Top Grossing · Reference, #95 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Identify, understand, and value your antiques with just a photo. Get instant identification, historical context, and estimated market value for your treasures. Organize your collection and explore similar items online.

**Highlights:** Instant antique identification by photo, Detailed historical context and origin, Estimated market value appraisals, Visual matches for online comparison, Personal antique collection management, Exportable collection data

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate identification
- 💡 Helpful for antique lovers
- 🚀 Efficient and user-friendly
- 🔍 Useful for small businesses
- 🧠 Impressive knowledge base

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Limited free scans
- 🤖 Inconsistent AI accuracy
- 🤔 Inability to select scan area

**Reported bugs**

- Inaccurate identification
- Crashes and errors

**Requested features**

- Free tier with ads
- Unlimited free scans
- Zoom and region selection
- Improved AI accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Instant Iris free?

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

### Is Curio free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Instant Iris or Curio?

Curio is rated higher. Instant Iris averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Curio averages 4.8 from 17K ratings.

### Do Instant Iris or Curio have ads?

Curio shows ads; Instant Iris does not.

### Which is updated more often, Instant Iris or Curio?

Instant Iris ships an update every 16 months, and Curio weekly. Most recently, Instant Iris was updated on November 3, 2026 and Curio on November 5, 2026.

---

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