# Stanford Mobile vs Foldscope

The clearest difference is rating: Foldscope at 5.0 against Stanford Mobile's 3.5. Stanford Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (34 vs 2). 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.

Foldscope holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stanford Mobile has 34 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Stanford Mobile ships an update every 6 weeks, Foldscope every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stanford Mobile | Foldscope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stanford-mobile/id1495906858/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foldscope/id1516900181/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **34** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 120 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Stanford University](https://appshunter.io/developer/292922032) | [Foldscope Intruments, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1239049211) |

## What reviewers say

### Stanford Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stanford-mobile/id1495906858)

Access essential Stanford University information, including campus maps, dining options, events, and news. It also functions as a digital extension of your Stanford ID card.

**Highlights:** Campus dining information, Upcoming events listings, Featured news stories, Campus and shuttle maps, Digital Stanford ID card

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### Foldscope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foldscope/id1516900181)

This app allows users to capture, focus, and scale images taken through a specialized lens. It also provides a platform for sharing these images and text posts with a global community of users. Explore and discover microscopic worlds through shared content.

**Highlights:** Capture and focus microscopic images, Scale images through the lens, Share images and text posts, Browse global user posts, Explore the Microcosmos community

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stanford Mobile free?

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

### Is Foldscope free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stanford Mobile or Foldscope?

Foldscope is rated higher. Stanford Mobile averages 3.5 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Foldscope averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Stanford Mobile or Foldscope have ads?

Neither Stanford Mobile nor Foldscope shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stanford Mobile or Foldscope?

Stanford Mobile ships an update every 6 weeks, and Foldscope every 2 months. Most recently, Stanford Mobile was updated on September 10, 2026 and Foldscope on September 10, 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.*