Phyto vs Protozoan Identification
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).
Protozoan Identification
Explore a collection of protozoan images and videos. Features an interactive key, labeling activities, and practice exercises to aid in identification and study.
- Interactive dichotomous key
- Labeling activities
- Protozoan images and videos
- Practice exercises
- Study aids
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The Protozoan Identification app features Carolina images and videos. The app includes an interactive dichotomous key, 3 labeling activities for practice and study, 20 additional photos of unique protozoans, and 8 protozoan video clips. *The Lite version includes only one labeling activity, two video, and two photos.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Phyto at 64% against Protozoan Identification's 0%. Phyto also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). Protozoan Identification's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, 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 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phyto has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Phyto's written reviews are positive against 0% of Protozoan Identification's.
Phyto ships an update every 10 months, Protozoan Identification every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phyto | Protozoan Identification |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (6 ratings) — better | 2.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months — better | Every 15 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 221 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gano Technologies LLC | Carolina Biological Supply |
Customer experience
Phyto
Protozoan Identification
In-app purchases
Phyto
No in-app purchases
Protozoan Identification
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Phyto free?
Is Protozoan Identification free?
Which has better reviews, Phyto or Protozoan Identification?
Do Phyto or Protozoan Identification have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phyto or Protozoan Identification?
Other comparisons
