# Phyto vs SeaPhoto

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SeaPhoto at 100% against Phyto's 64%. SeaPhoto also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Phyto's advantage is update cadence (every 10 months vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SeaPhoto holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Phyto's written reviews are positive against 100% of SeaPhoto's.

Phyto ships an update every 10 months, SeaPhoto every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phyto | SeaPhoto |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyto/id333237649/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaphoto/id515571588/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 months** | Every 22 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 81 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gano Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/333237652) | [Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/515571591) |

## What reviewers say

### Phyto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyto/id333237649)

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.

**Highlights:** Phytoplankton identification guide, Marine and freshwater species, Flash cards for learning, Interactive identification games, Species details and photos, Submit observation results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SeaPhoto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaphoto/id515571588)

Explore a vast collection of high-quality images and detailed ecological information about marine life in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Browse species by name or functional group, with photos downloaded on demand and stored for offline access.

**Highlights:** 1,650+ high-quality marine life images, 631+ species with ecological information, Browse by common/scientific name, Filter by functional group, On-demand photo download, Offline photo storage, Share photos via Twitter/email

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phyto free?

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

### Is SeaPhoto free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phyto or SeaPhoto?

SeaPhoto is rated higher. Phyto averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SeaPhoto averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Phyto or SeaPhoto have ads?

Neither Phyto nor SeaPhoto shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Phyto or SeaPhoto?

Phyto ships an update every 10 months, and SeaPhoto every 22 months. Most recently, Phyto was updated on September 21, 2026 and SeaPhoto on October 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*