Comparison

iSolveModel vs Archie

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iSolveModel

This app offers a powerful linear programming solver for iOS devices, utilizing the simplex algorithm and an integrated MIP solver for integer variables. It's designed for students and professionals in operations research and related fields, allowing easy model creation and sharing.

Highlights
  • Linear programming solver
  • Simplex algorithm
  • Integrated MIP solver
  • Sensitivity analysis
  • iTunes File Sharing
  • Email model/solution transfer
  • Text-based model documents
Features
Read full description

Looking for a mathematical model solver running on your iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch? This is iSolveModel, an easy-to-use linear programming optimizer running on iPad as well as on iPhone and using the simplex algorithm method with pivot as the main solver engine as well as an integrated MIP solver for 0-1 variables and integer numbers. The purpose of this application is to provide a linear programming solver for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch community as well as for students and teachers, particularly for those in Operations Research / Operations Management / Industrial Engineering or related courses (college/undergraduate students). Features: - Number of decision variables and constraints only limited by the available memory of the device - Sensitivity analysis reports on variable coefficients and right-hand side when solving pure linear models - Documents can be transferred via iTunes File Sharing - Mathematical models and solutions can be sent by email - Model documents are text files, no proprietary format - Solution documents as HTML - Supports all device orientations Benefits: - Affordable - Easy-to-use modeling, models are like the ones in textbooks - Fast learning curve

About

Archie

Point your camera at any building to instantly identify its architectural style, era, and key features. Explore a curated map of notable buildings, listen to narrated histories, and build a personal library of your discoveries.

Highlights
  • AI-powered building style identification
  • Detailed architectural feature analysis
  • Curated map of notable buildings
  • Spoken building histories and stories
  • Personalized library of identified buildings
  • Offline analysis and map packs
Features
Read full description

Point your camera at any building and know what you're looking at. Archie identifies the architectural style of any building from a photo, then teaches you why. Snap a facade and get the style, the era, the visible features that give it away, and the story behind it. It's like having an architecture professor in your pocket. HOW IT WORKS • Snap a building (or import a photo from your library) • Archie's AI matches it against 146 architectural styles, from Gothic to Googie, Brutalism to Beaux-Arts, Brooklyn brownstones to Czech Cubism • See the features that signal the style (pointed arches, corbels, tracery) ringed on your photo one at a time and explained in plain language • Archie looks for the exact building in a database of 1,755,352 buildings, then on the web, and names it only when it can check the match • Named buildings open with their own history and their architect's story • Still curious? Tap a suggested question about the building, its style, or its architect • Every result includes a note about the exact building in your photo EXPLORE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD The Map puts 5,700+ noteworthy buildings at your feet across 135 U.S. cities: famous landmarks and hidden gems, each with photos and the story of why it matters. See what's near you, filter for landmarks or hidden gems, walk over, and photograph a mapped building to collect it. More cities on the way. LISTEN AS YOU LOOK Every result comes with a spoken story in chapters, from the building's history to its architect's. Play it all or jump to a chapter, and it keeps playing with your screen locked. Every mapped building has its story too. It's a walking tour that starts wherever you're standing. BUILD YOUR LIFELIST Every style you identify unlocks in your LifeList: a field guide of all 146 styles to collect, each with its own drawing and real-world examples from around the globe, plus 50 famous architects to spot. Spotting styles becomes a game you play with every walk. YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY Every save keeps the photo and its full analysis, readable offline. Browse by month, style, architect or city, or search as you type. Vacation buildings, hometown gems: your record of everything you've learned. MADE FOR EXPLORERS • Works worldwide, on anything from cathedrals to bungalows • Offline queue: snap now, analyze when you're back online • City map packs work offline once downloaded • Share cards for your best finds, sized for Instagram Stories and posts • Optional account: sign in with Apple, Google, or your email to back up your Library and LifeList across your iPhones. Identifying needs no account. No ads. PRIVACY FIRST Identifying a building needs no account. Photos are analyzed in the cloud and aren't kept on Archie's servers unless you save one to your account or report a wrong answer. If you allow location, your position and the direction you're facing go with the photo to work out which building it is, and aren't stored apart from those saves and reports. Sign in only if you want your saves backed up; they're stored for you alone until you delete them. With an account we may email you now and then about new features or research; you choose when you sign up and can turn it off in Settings. No ads in the app and no tracking across other apps: Archie never touches your advertising identifier. FREE & PREMIUM Your first 3 identifications are free, no strings. Archie Unlimited removes the limit and unlocks every place on the map, as a yearly plan that starts with a 7-day free trial or a one-time lifetime unlock. The yearly plan auto-renews until cancelled in your App Store settings; cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged. Your Library and LifeList stay fully readable without a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://thearchieapp.com/privacy/

Screenshots

iSolveModel4 screens
Archie4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Archie at Free against iSolveModel's $9.99. Archie also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 71%). iSolveModel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Archie is free to download; iSolveModel costs $9.99 up front. Archie sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. iSolveModel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iSolveModel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Archie has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of iSolveModel's written reviews are positive against 100% of Archie's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iSolveModel ships an update every 4 months, Archie every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iSolveModel versus Archie: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriSolveModelArchie
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.8 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings215 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMINDTechJason Girouard

Customer experience

iSolveModel

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%

Archie

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

iSolveModel

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Archie

Subscriptions3
  • Archie Unlimited — Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Archie Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Archie Unlimited — Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Archie Unlimited — Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is iSolveModel free?
iSolveModel costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Archie free?
Archie is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iSolveModel or Archie?
iSolveModel is rated higher. iSolveModel averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Archie averages 4.8 from 15 ratings.
Do iSolveModel or Archie have ads?
Neither iSolveModel nor Archie shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iSolveModel or Archie?
iSolveModel ships an update every 4 months, and Archie every 6 days. Most recently, iSolveModel was updated on November 1, 2026 and Archie on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons