Phyto vs AlgalSex
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).
AlgalSex
Explore the life cycle of algae with this educational application. Designed for iPhone and iPod touch, it offers a visual learning experience for users interested in phycology.
- Observe algae life cycle
- Phycological education
- iPhone and iPod touch compatible
- Visual learning tool
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AlgalSex is a phycological app for the iPhone and iPod touch. You can observe the life cycle of algae.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Phyto at 4.8 against AlgalSex's 2.8. AlgalSex's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, ratings volume, 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.
Phyto holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Phyto's written reviews are positive against 100% of AlgalSex's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Phyto ships an update every 10 months, AlgalSex every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and July 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phyto | AlgalSex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (6 ratings) — better | 2.8 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 182 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gano Technologies LLC | TSUCHIKANE |
Customer experience
Phyto
AlgalSex
In-app purchases
Phyto
No in-app purchases
AlgalSex
No in-app purchases
