Comparison

Labmate vs Photonics Spectra

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

Head to head
About

Labmate

Access the latest news, product releases, and technical articles from the laboratory industry. Download full issues of leading scientific publications covering chromatography, biotechnology, and more. Stay updated with event previews, reviews, and industry news.

Highlights
  • Latest industry news and product releases
  • Download scientific publications
  • Technical and problem-solving articles
  • Event previews and reviews
  • Searchable content by subject
  • Video integration for product demonstrations
Features
Read full description

Labmate – The Laboratory World at Your Fingertips. The FREE Labmate App brings you all the latest news and products from the laboratory industry, direct to your mobile device! With this App, you can download the latest issues of our longstanding scientific publications ‘International Labmate’, ‘Labmate UK & Ireland’, ‘Lab Asia’ and ‘Chromatography Today’ which have also been delivered to laboratories across the world in a print format. Each issue contains the latest technical and problem solving articles, event previews and reviews, commercial announcements, NEW product releases, and spotlight features. Subjects covered within the print, online and mobile magazine, include; Chromatography, Spectroscopy, Microscopy, Biotechnology, Immunology, Clinical and Medical science, Laboratory I.T Solutions, and Pharmaceuticals. The publication also contains general lab news and exhibition news from the laboratory industry, along with laboratory industry updates from relevant scientific societies. If you have an interest in the laboratory sector or lab products, then this is the magazine for you! Each magazine title is a leading journal of science in it’s field. Within the Labmate App, you will receive all 7 issues of International Labmate, 6 issues of Lab Asia, 10 issues of Labmate UK & Ireland and 4 issues of Chromatography Today. Keeping up-to-date with laboratory science has never been so easy! Each issue is fully searchable. If you only work with Spectroscopy – find Spectroscopy related news fast! The magazine also includes full Video integration – watch the latest instrumentation operating within a laboratory environment, giving you a more realistic example of whether a lab product is right for your working environment or application. Download the Labmate App today for the Laboratory World at Your Fingertips!

About

Photonics Spectra

Access the leading magazine for the photonics industry on your mobile device. Read articles in a convenient format, download PDF issues, and search through archives of past content. Stay informed about optics, lasers, imaging, and more.

Highlights
  • Mobile-friendly article reading
  • Downloadable PDF issues
  • Searchable archives
  • Comprehensive industry coverage
  • Technical and practical information
Features
Read full description

Photonics Spectra, the world's leading magazine covering the photonics industry, is also available as a mobile app. Features include the ability to: • Read articles in a mobile-friendly format • Download a pdf of each issue • Search archived issues Since 1967, Photonics Spectra magazine has defined the science and industry of photonics, promoting an international dialogue among the engineers, scientists, and end users who develop, commercialize, and buy photonic products. Photonics Spectra is unique in that it provides both technical and practical information for every aspect of the global industry, integrating all segments of photonics: optics, lasers, imaging, spectroscopy, sensors and detectors, fiber optics, microscopy, displays, light sources, machine vision, and more. This application is powered by GTxcel, a leader in digital publishing technology, provider of hundreds of online digital publications and mobile magazine apps.

Screenshots

Labmate4 screens
Photonics Spectra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Photonics Spectra at none against Labmate's shown. Photonics Spectra also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Labmate ships an update every 6 months, Photonics Spectra every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Labmate versus Photonics Spectra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLabmatePhotonics Spectra
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInternational Labmate LimitedLaurin Publishing Co., Inc.

Customer experience

Labmate

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

Photonics Spectra

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Labmate

No in-app purchases

None

Photonics Spectra

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Labmate free?
Labmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Photonics Spectra free?
Photonics Spectra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Labmate or Photonics Spectra have ads?
Labmate shows ads; Photonics Spectra does not.
Which is updated more often, Labmate or Photonics Spectra?
Labmate ships an update every 6 months, and Photonics Spectra every 10 months. Most recently, Labmate was updated on September 9, 2026 and Photonics Spectra on September 8, 2026.

Other comparisons