# NIRLab vs North Planner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NIRLab at none against North Planner's 1. NIRLab also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. North Planner sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. NIRLab asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NIRLab | North Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nirlab/id1593193933/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 112 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NIRLAB Forensics Sarl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1590334637) | [Gabriel Campos Monteiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781950784) |

## What reviewers say

### NIRLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nirlab/id1593193933)

Instantly identify substances using near-infrared spectra. This app is part of a comprehensive data management system for field-based analysis. A compatible infrared spectrometer is necessary for data acquisition.

**Highlights:** Instant substance identification, Near-infrared spectra analysis, Field data acquisition, Complete data management ecosystem, Quality monitoring

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### North Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/north-planner/id6781950602)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| North Premium | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NIRLab free?

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

### Is North Planner free?

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

### Do NIRLab or North Planner have ads?

Neither NIRLab nor North Planner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NIRLab or North Planner?

NIRLab ships an update every 2 weeks, and North Planner every 2 weeks. Most recently, NIRLab was updated on October 30, 2026 and North Planner on October 31, 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.*