HudsonAlpha iCell vs TestNav
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HudsonAlpha iCell
Explore the inner workings of animal, plant, and bacteria cells in a 3D interactive environment. Tap on cellular components to learn their names and functions. Rotate and zoom to get a comprehensive understanding of cellular biology.
- 3D interactive cell models
- Animal, plant, and bacteria cell examples
- Tap to select and learn organelle functions
- Rotate and zoom functionality
- Adjustable text size and description levels
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***Updated 3.6.1*** iCell now works even better on the iPhone. We have added larger text for all descriptions and included the ability to change text description levels for the iPhone as well as the iPad. iCell gives students, teachers, and anyone interested in biology a 3D view inside a cell. Included are examples of three types of cells: animal, plant, and bacteria. Learn about the various parts of the cell, which biologists, biochemists, and DNA researchers at the HudsonAlpha Institute study and use to advance the limits of biotechnology. You can use your finger to tap on parts of the cell to select and zoom in on that particular organelle. Each organelle comes with a name and a short description of its function in the cell. For a better view of each cell, hold down one finger on the screen, and drag to rotate around the cell or selected organelle. You can zoom in and out by pinching or flaring with two fingers at once. We hope you enjoy!
TestNav
This application provides a secure and reliable platform for delivering educational tests online. It ensures test items are presented consistently across devices.
- Secure test delivery
- Reliable online platform
- Consistent test item presentation
- iOS device compatibility
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TestNav is Pearson's online test delivery platform. It enables test items to be delivered online securely and reliably in a consistent manner. The TestNav for iOS app allows TestNav to run on iOS devices.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: HudsonAlpha iCell at 70% against TestNav's 24%. HudsonAlpha iCell also leads on rating (3.0 vs 1.6) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 8 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.
HudsonAlpha iCell holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 292 and 99 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of HudsonAlpha iCell's written reviews are positive against 24% of TestNav's.
HudsonAlpha iCell ships an update every 4 weeks, TestNav every 8 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.
| Parameter | HudsonAlpha iCell | TestNav |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (292 ratings) — better | 1.6 (99 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.8% of reviews — better | 23.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 292 — better | 99 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology | Pearson |
Customer experience
HudsonAlpha iCell
TestNav
User reviews
HudsonAlpha iCell
From 292 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helpful for learning about cells
- 🚀 Great 3D visuals and interactive features
- 💡 Different levels of complexity for various users
- 🎓 Useful for students and teachers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Limited content and organelles covered
- 🤔 Lacking in-depth information and functionality
- 🙄 Boring and oversimplified for some users
TestNav
From 99 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 App is available for iPad
- 👍 Some users find it easy to use
- 👍 Some users find it helpful for school
- 👍 Some users find it 'super good' or 'amazing'
Room to improve
- 😞 App is described as 'trash' or 'garbage'
- 😞 Frequent crashes and bugs reported
- 😞 Users experience extreme boredom and frustration
- 😞 App is perceived as a waste of time
- 😞 Some users report it 'never works'
Bugs and requests
HudsonAlpha iCell
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and app instability
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Missing or incorrectly labeled organelles
Requested features
4 requests- Add more cell types (e.g. fungi, virus)
- Provide quizzing and assessment features
- Improve level of detail and explanations
- Allow users to explore cell structures in more depth
TestNav
Reported bugs
6 issues- Open response boxes never work properly
- Drag and drop not working
- Permission errors for speech, mic, etc.
- App crashes all the time
- App doesn't work
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- App needs update but cannot update
Requested features
10 requests- Way to lower brightness
- Actual Dark Mode
- Allow access to Accessibility Shortcuts menu during testing
- Enable/disable inverted colors during testing
- Enable zoom during testing
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Enable VoiceOver during testing
- Add dancing GIFs of Nick Young
- Add mini games with golf balls and levels
- Add Flappy golf extreme
- Add cross map tomahawks
In-app purchases
HudsonAlpha iCell
No in-app purchases
TestNav
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HudsonAlpha iCell free?
Is TestNav free?
Which has better reviews, HudsonAlpha iCell or TestNav?
Do HudsonAlpha iCell or TestNav have ads?
Which is updated more often, HudsonAlpha iCell or TestNav?
Other comparisons
