# vTree vs PocketMacros

The clearest difference is rating: PocketMacros at 4.5 against vTree's 3.3. PocketMacros also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 37%) and monetization model (free vs paid). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

PocketMacros holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of vTree's written reviews are positive against 75% of PocketMacros's.

vTree ships an update every 11 months, PocketMacros every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | vTree | PocketMacros |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vtree/id576191197/reviews) | **[4.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketmacros/id1576895516/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **46** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Peterson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175417672) | [Marti Louw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1576895518) |

## 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


### PocketMacros

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketmacros/id1576895516)

This app serves as a visual guide for identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates. It features a field guide, an interactive key for identification, and flashcard practice modes to support environmental education and water quality monitoring.

**Highlights:** Visual field guide, Interactive identification key, Flashcard practice modes, Offline functionality, No account required, Anonymized analytics (opt-in)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is vTree free?

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

### Is PocketMacros free?

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

### Which has better reviews, vTree or PocketMacros?

PocketMacros is rated higher. vTree averages 3.3 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while PocketMacros averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.

### Do vTree or PocketMacros have ads?

Neither vTree nor PocketMacros shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, vTree or PocketMacros?

vTree ships an update every 11 months, and PocketMacros every 5 months. Most recently, vTree was updated on November 1, 2026 and PocketMacros on November 3, 2026.

---

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