# Purdue Tree Doctor vs vTree

The clearest difference is monetization model: Purdue Tree Doctor at free against vTree's paid. Purdue Tree Doctor also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 37%) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 11 months). vTree's advantage is rating (3.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (46 vs 11). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

vTree holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 46 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Purdue Tree Doctor's written reviews are positive against 37% of vTree's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Purdue Tree Doctor ships an update every 4 months, vTree every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Purdue Tree Doctor | vTree |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purdue-tree-doctor/id561944017/reviews) | **[3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vtree/id576191197/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **46** |
| Positive reviews | **57.1% of reviews** | 36.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 370 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Purdue University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371741257) | [John Peterson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175417672) |

## What reviewers say

### Purdue Tree Doctor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purdue-tree-doctor/id561944017)

Identify and manage tree problems caused by insects and diseases with expert recommendations. This app helps users match damaged plant parts to over 1000 photos for accurate diagnosis and management strategies.

**Highlights:** Identify tree problems via photo matching, Over 1000 high-resolution photos, Detailed damage descriptions, Expert management recommendations, Search by tree or pest

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### vTree

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vtree/id576191197)

Identify woody plants across North America with detailed fact sheets, thousands of images, and location-based filtering. Get expert help from "Dr. Dendro" for tricky identifications.

**Highlights:** 969 North American woody plants, Thousands of color images, Location-based species filtering, Search by keyword, Identify via attribute questions, Expert identification help

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive database
- 👍 Good for non-photo ID
- 👍 Informative descriptions
- 👍 Identifies location and altitude
- 👍 High-quality photos (when they load)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open
- 🐛 Downloads to 123% and freezes
- 🐛 Stuck on "downloading species"
- 🐛 Limited species offered

**Reported bugs**

- Eternally spinning “loading species” then crashes
- Won’t open, downloads to 123% then freezes
- Stuck “downloading species”
- Crashes when updating location off grid
- Missing photos

**Requested features**

- Allow offline use by downloading all fact sheets
- Update app for newer iPhone screen sizes
- Editable list of recently identified trees
- Search trees by leaf
- Break down database into regions/states


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Purdue Tree Doctor free?

Purdue Tree Doctor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is vTree free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Purdue Tree Doctor or vTree?

vTree is rated higher. Purdue Tree Doctor averages 3.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while vTree averages 3.3 from 46 ratings.

### Do Purdue Tree Doctor or vTree have ads?

Neither Purdue Tree Doctor nor vTree shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Purdue Tree Doctor or vTree?

Purdue Tree Doctor ships an update every 4 months, and vTree every 11 months. Most recently, Purdue Tree Doctor was updated on October 2, 2026 and vTree on October 11, 2026.

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