Comparison

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab vs TROY

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

Head to head
About

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

Explore the science and methods for identifying bacteria using DNA sequences. This interactive virtual lab simulates modern techniques applicable in research and forensics. It's designed for high school biology students and science enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Learn DNA sequencing techniques
  • Identify different bacteria types
  • Simulates real-world lab methods
  • Applicable to research and forensics
  • Interactive virtual lab environment
Features
Read full description

Learn about the science and techniques used to identify different types of bacteria based on their DNA sequences. Not long ago, DNA sequencing was a time-consuming, tedious process. With readily available commercial equipment and kits, it is now routine. The techniques used in this lab are applicable in a wide variety of settings, including scientific research and forensic labs. This app is geared for high school biology students and anyone interested in the biological sciences. The Bacterial ID Virtual Lab was first released in 2000 as a browser-based interactive lab. Since its inception, it and the other HHMI Virtual Labs have won several awards, including the Pirelli INTERNETional Award's top prize in 2002. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a nonprofit medical research organization that ranks as one of the nation’s largest philanthropies. HHMI plays a powerful role in advancing biomedical research and science education. HHMI brings the latest biomedical research into the classroom with the award-winning BioInteractive website and the Holiday Lectures on Science. BioInteractive features free resources for science education, including animations, videos, interactive features, and classroom materials. The Holiday Lectures on Science feature world-class scientists who bring their leading-edge research to the classroom.

About

TROY

Access essential university resources, including faculty directories, campus maps, news, and academic course content. Stay connected with campus events, athletics, and student services. Manage your academic life and connect with the university community.

Highlights
  • Faculty and staff directory
  • Campus maps and directions
  • University news and events
  • Access to Canvas course content
  • Athletics scores and schedules
  • Emergency contact information
Features
Read full description

Use the Troy University app to find faculty and staff members in the directory and get in touch instantly, stay in-the-loop with the latest TROY news, watch videos from recent TROY events, check grades and course content, browse the schedule of courses, and more. It’s Troy University in the palm of your hand! Features: emergency: Find emergency contact numbers for TROY campuses. maps: View a map of a TROY campus and view places you want to go. directory: Search for and get in touch with TROY faculty and staff members. admissions: Visit Admissions and apply to TROY today. athletics: See scores, schedules, and news for the TROY Trojans! Canvas Student/Teacher: Get instant access to all of your Canvas online course content on the go. email: Quickly access your troy.edu email account. helpdesk: Visit our Helpdesk to request assistance. get spirit: Visit troytrojanspirit.com and “Show Your Trojan Warrior Spirit”. bookstore: Visit the TROY bookstore to view and order your textbooks. news: Keep up with all of the recent news about TROY. videos: Access great Troy University video content in one easy-to-view place. photos: Search and browse TROY photos. public radio: Tune in to Troy University Public Radio! events: View the upcoming TROY events. social hub: Stay connected with the people, places, and organizations that make up TROY. calendar: View the Troy University calendar for current and upcoming semesters and terms. askTROY: Find answers to your questions about TROY. library: Visit the Troy University Library. greek life: Visit the “Greek Life at Troy University” Website. dining: Find out what is going on with Dining Services. troy.edu: Access the Troy University Website. catalogs: View a Troy University Academic Catalog. oracle: View the Student Handbook. troy.edu/app: View the apps that are available from Troy University. MyTroy: Access to internal resources. Bus Services: Trojan transportation services. Facilities Schedule: See the schedule for Troy campus facilities. Trojan Card: Access your Trojan card account. Trojan Web Express: Access Trojan Web Express.

Screenshots

TROY4 screens

Verdict

The call

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab and TROY both sit at 3.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's written reviews are positive against 60% of TROY's. Bacterial ID Virtual Lab also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). TROY's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TROY holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 17 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's written reviews are positive against 60% of TROY's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab ships an update every 14 months, TROY every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab versus TROY: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBacterial ID Virtual LabTROY
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (9 ratings)3.9 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings917 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 8 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB16 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHoward Hughes Medical InstituteTroy University

Customer experience

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

TROY

All ratings17 ratings
Positive70.6%
Neutral11.8%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

None

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

No in-app purchases

None

TROY

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bacterial ID Virtual Lab free?
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TROY free?
TROY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or TROY?
TROY is rated higher. Bacterial ID Virtual Lab averages 3.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while TROY averages 3.9 from 17 ratings.
Do Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or TROY have ads?
Neither Bacterial ID Virtual Lab nor TROY shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or TROY?
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab ships an update every 14 months, and TROY every 8 months. Most recently, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab was updated on June 4, 2026 and TROY on September 7, 2026.

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