Fossil Discovery vs SharkToothID
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fossil Discovery
This app allows users to upload fossil findings and their associated data for identification by expert volunteers. It aims to foster citizen science by connecting amateur and professional paleontologists to study regional biodiversity.
- Upload fossil data
- GPS-enabled locality tagging
- Expert identification
- Biodiversity study
- Citizen science network
Read full descriptionHide full description
The application enables the scientific community to use verified data to study (regional) biodiversity. Thus, Fossil Discovery will become a true citizen science and create a network of amateur and professional paleontologists. This application allows users to upload fossils and their data (e.g., locality/GPS-data, measurements, preservation) and get identification by volunteering experts. Improvements will be continuously and in collaboration with the FAU’s Pattern Recognition Lab.
SharkToothID
Easily identify shark teeth, scallops, and other fossils found along the Carolinas and Florida coasts. This app covers the most common specimens you're likely to discover.
- Identify shark teeth
- Identify Pecten and other fossils
- Covers Carolinas and Florida coasts
- Focuses on common fossils
- Easy to use interface
Read full descriptionHide full description
A visual guide for identifying fossil shark teeth and other fossils found along the East Coast, including the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Explore detailed fossil photographs, along with images and descriptions of the extinct animals they came from. More than just shark teeth—identify fossils from fish, rays, alligators, horses, and many other prehistoric animals.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SharkToothID at 4.3 against Fossil Discovery's 2.0. SharkToothID also leads on ratings volume (19 vs 1). Fossil Discovery's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SharkToothID holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SharkToothID has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Fossil Discovery ships an update every 8 months, SharkToothID every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fossil Discovery | SharkToothID |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) | 4.3 (19 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 19 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 7 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 164 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg | Steven Sharpe |
Customer experience
Fossil Discovery
SharkToothID
In-app purchases
Fossil Discovery
No in-app purchases
SharkToothID
No in-app purchases
