# ICS vs StraboTools

The clearest difference is review sentiment: StraboTools at 100% against ICS's 50%. StraboTools also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (10 vs 3). ICS's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

StraboTools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of ICS's written reviews are positive against 100% of StraboTools's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ICS | StraboTools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ics-timescale/id1469322356/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strabotools/id1496239162/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [隽轩 樊](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463394496) | [The University of Kansas](https://appshunter.io/developer/726307325) |

## What reviewers say

### ICS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ics-timescale/id1469322356)

Access authoritative geological time scale data and information on Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs). Explore charts, detailed GSSP information, and relevant statistics.

**Highlights:** Demonstration of ICS chart, Detailed GSSP information, GSSP statistics, Authoritative data service

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### StraboTools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strabotools/id1496239162)

This app assists geologists in the field by analyzing photographs to provide quantitative data on rock fabric and mineral composition. It offers tools for measuring fabric orientation, determining color index, and detecting edges in rock images.

**Highlights:** Edge Fabric tool for orientation analysis, Color Index tool for mineral composition, Edge detection filter, Analyzes photos in-app or imported, Useful for plutonic and other rock types, Supports thin section study

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ICS free?

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

### Is StraboTools free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ICS or StraboTools?

StraboTools is rated higher. ICS averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while StraboTools averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do ICS or StraboTools have ads?

Neither ICS nor StraboTools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ICS or StraboTools?

ICS ships an update every 2 months, and StraboTools every 2 months. Most recently, ICS was updated on October 4, 2026 and StraboTools on October 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.*