# vTree vs NYS BMP Guide

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NYS BMP Guide at 100% against vTree's 37%. NYS BMP Guide also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and monetization model (free vs paid). vTree's advantage is ratings volume (46 vs 1) and update cadence (every 11 months vs every 37 months). 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.

NYS BMP Guide holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: vTree has 46 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of vTree's written reviews are positive against 100% of NYS BMP Guide's.

vTree ships an update every 11 months, NYS BMP Guide every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | vTree | NYS BMP Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vtree/id576191197/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nys-bmp-guide/id1527127965/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **46** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 months** | Every 37 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Peterson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175417672) | [WATERSHED AGRICULTURAL COUNCIL OF THE NEW YORK CITY WATERSHEDS, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527127967) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### NYS BMP Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nys-bmp-guide/id1527127965)

This app provides the New York State Voluntary Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality Field Guide. It's a practical resource for professionals and landowners involved in timber harvesting and land management to protect erosion and water quality.

**Highlights:** Forestry Best Management Practices, Water Quality Protection, Erosion Control, Timber Harvest Operations, Field Guide Resource

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is vTree free?

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

### Is NYS BMP Guide free?

NYS BMP Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, vTree or NYS BMP Guide?

NYS BMP Guide is rated higher. vTree averages 3.3 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while NYS BMP Guide averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do vTree or NYS BMP Guide have ads?

Neither vTree nor NYS BMP Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, vTree or NYS BMP Guide?

vTree ships an update every 11 months, and NYS BMP Guide every 37 months. Most recently, vTree was updated on November 1, 2026 and NYS BMP Guide on November 3, 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.*