Phyto vs Foldscope
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phyto
Learn to identify common marine and freshwater phytoplankton with this educational app. It features a comprehensive identification guide, flashcards, and interactive games to aid learning. Developed with support from NOAA, it's designed for both iPhone and iPad.
- Phytoplankton identification guide
- Marine and freshwater species
- Flash cards for learning
- Interactive identification games
- Species details and photos
- Submit observation results
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Phyto helps you learn to identify phytoplankton and their proper pronunciation. It includes the most common marine and freshwater phytoplankton. --------------------- Phyto Version 2.0 - Completely redesigned! --------------------- - Many new species added with more details and photos. - Freshwater and Marine species now included - Flash Cards and Fast Phyto: two games to help learn how to identify phytoplankton - Species Identification Guide - Phytoplankton Monitoring Network volunteers can submit sample observation results - Embedded news and information browser - Universal App: now works well on both the iPhone and iPad (support for all screen sizes and resolutions) ----------------- This application was developed by the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network which is sponsored by the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research division of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Foldscope
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.
- Capture and focus microscopic images
- Scale images through the lens
- Share images and text posts
- Browse global user posts
- Explore the Microcosmos community
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Use the Foldscope app to scale and focus your images while using the Foldscope! - Capture, focus, and scale images through the Lens - Share your images and text posts on Microcosmos - Browse Microcosmos to explore posts from Foldscopers around the world
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Foldscope at every 2 months against Phyto's every 10 months. Foldscope also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Phyto's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Foldscope holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively.
Phyto ships an update every 10 months, Foldscope every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phyto | Foldscope |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Gano Technologies LLC | Foldscope Intruments, Inc |
Customer experience
Phyto
Foldscope
In-app purchases
Phyto
No in-app purchases
Foldscope
No in-app purchases
