# GIA vs Rock ID

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GIA at 89% against Rock ID's 37%. GIA also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Rock ID's advantage is ratings volume (3.2K vs 537). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rock ID sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. GIA asks for nothing beyond the download.

GIA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rock ID has 3.2K ratings behind it against 537, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of GIA's written reviews are positive against 37% of Rock ID's.

GIA ships an update every 2 months, Rock ID monthly. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | GIA | Rock ID |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (537 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gia/id1623642988/reviews)** | [4.4 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rock-id-stone-identifier/id6469999508/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 537 | **3.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **88.9% of reviews** | 37.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 148 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GIA](https://appshunter.io/developer/469023198) | [AIBY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458102137) |

## What reviewers say

### GIA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gia/id1623642988)

This app helps users understand diamond quality by providing interactive tools for the 4Cs (color, clarity, cut, carat) and educational articles. It also allows users to save, share, and verify diamond reports, and find local retailers.

**Highlights:** Interactive 4Cs tools, Diamond buying tips and lore, Save and share GIA reports, GIA retailer lookup, Point-of-sale tools for sellers, Inscription matching with GIA Match iD

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rock ID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rock-id-stone-identifier/id6469999508)

Instantly identify rocks, minerals, and gems by snapping a photo. Explore detailed profiles, manage your personal collections, and keep a log of all your discoveries. Become a geology expert with this comprehensive guide.

**Highlights:** Instant AI-powered stone identification, Vast catalog of rock profiles, Personal rock and mineral collections, Detailed history of identifications, Learn rock composition and origin, Distinguish real gems from fakes

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rock ID PRO | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Rock ID PRO | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly access (3 days trial) | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly access | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly access (3 days trial) | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Rock ID PRO | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly premium subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly premium subscription | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Instant identification
- 💡 Extensive stone library
- 🎓 Helpful for education

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent identification accuracy
- 💰 Paywall after limited free scans
- 🤔 Questionable reliability for valuable stones
- 📷 Camera quality issues for small gems

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect identification of common stones
- Failure to recognize obvious stone types
- Inability to scan certain stones

**Requested features**

- More detailed stone information
- Improved identification accuracy
- Ability to manually correct misidentifications
- Option to disable paywall for limited use


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GIA free?

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

### Is Rock ID free?

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

### Which has better reviews, GIA or Rock ID?

GIA is rated higher. GIA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 537 ratings, while Rock ID averages 4.4 from 3.2K ratings.

### Do GIA or Rock ID have ads?

Neither GIA nor Rock ID shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GIA or Rock ID?

GIA ships an update every 2 months, and Rock ID monthly. Most recently, GIA was updated on November 12, 2026 and Rock ID on November 12, 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.*