Comparison

4D vs The Plant Map | Care Tracker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

4D

Read full description

Real-time parameters check and change as well as planting moments sharing can be realized by APP 4D Box. The main features of the APP are as follow: 1. Check and change. Parameters can be checked and changed by mobile once the APP connects to the growing machine. 2.Plants menu. Only need to choose the right plant in the APP, the machine will set the parameters automatically. What you need to do is just have a coffee and watching the plants grow. 3.Share. Sharing every exciting moment with the person you want.

About

The Plant Map | Care Tracker

Visualize your plant collection on a map-based interface for effortless care tracking. Set custom tasks, receive personalized notifications, and log notes with photo history. Syncs seamlessly across devices and utilizes AR for space scanning.

Highlights
  • Map-based plant visualization
  • Customizable care tasks
  • Personalized notifications
  • Notes and photo history
  • Cross-device syncing
  • AR space scanning
  • Apple Shortcuts integration
Features
Read full description

See what needs care at a glance, not buried in a list. The Plant Map shows every plant in your collection on a visual, color-coded map so you can see what needs water, what can wait, and what needs attention right now. Your plants, where they actually live Most plant apps give you a list. The Plant Map puts your plants on a map of your real space, your windowsill, your shelf, your patio, so you see everything in context and know where to start. Open the app, read the colors, and you're done. What you can do • Place plants on a private map built from a quick on-device 3D scan of your space. No sharing, no cloud processing. • Track watering, fertilizing, misting, rotating, or create your own custom care labels. All available to free users, not locked behind a subscription. • Fine-tune any interval with a one-time adjustment per session so a quick snooze or a dry spell doesn't throw off your carefully tuned schedule. • Choose reminders your way: per-plant notifications, a daily summary, or none at all. • Keep a photo history and quick field notes to remember changes over time. • Add notes and track progress without needing to name or photograph every plant just to tell them apart. • Designed with accidental-tap protection for when your phone is tucked under your arm and your hands are full of soil. Why a map changes everything You don't think about your plants as rows in a spreadsheet. You remember them by where they are. With color-coded markers set to your own ratios, you can judge what needs care in seconds, even with 100+ plants. No scrolling, no decoding, no naming required. Lists and generic reminders can work, but they weren't designed around how plant care actually works day to day. The Plant Map gives every plant its own place and remembers everything for you, so you can stop holding it all in your head and just enjoy your plants. Scan your space with AR On supported devices, use LiDAR to scan and generate a precise floor plan. Bring your real environment into a bird's-eye view of your care routine. Works across your devices Start on iPhone, continue on iPad. iCloud backup keeps your plant data backed up. Apple Shortcuts and NFC tags let you scan a sticker on a planter and log care without even opening the app. Privacy first Your maps and plant data stay on your device and under your control. What users say "Every other plant app felt like homework. This one just clicks." – DrCareey "I have 40 plants and stopped losing track of them after I started using this." – Jake T. "I finally stopped killing my plants. This app changed everything." – Maria L. Affordable one-time purchase Start with up to 8 plants free. Unlock unlimited plants with a single purchase, no subscription. All core tools available to free users except iCloud Backup, Group Snoozing, and Custom Shapes.

Screenshots

4D3 screens
The Plant Map | Care Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 4D at none against The Plant Map | Care Tracker's 3. 4D also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.5). The Plant Map | Care Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. The Plant Map | Care Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 4D asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

4D ships an update every 4 months, The Plant Map | Care Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
4D versus The Plant Map | Care Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter4DThe Plant Map | Care Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer4D Bios Inc.Nicholas Hwang

In-app purchases

None

4D

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

The Plant Map | Care Tracker

One-time3
  • Upgrade to Unlimited · 1-Time$0.49
  • Garden Size 25 Plants · 1-Time$0.99
  • Unlimited Plants · One-Time$1.49

Questions

Is 4D free?
4D is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Plant Map | Care Tracker free?
The Plant Map | Care Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do 4D or The Plant Map | Care Tracker have ads?
Neither 4D nor The Plant Map | Care Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 4D or The Plant Map | Care Tracker?
4D ships an update every 4 months, and The Plant Map | Care Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, 4D was updated on October 6, 2026 and The Plant Map | Care Tracker on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons