# vTree vs TreeIDSmokies

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TreeIDSmokies at 100% against vTree's 37%. TreeIDSmokies also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and monetization model (free vs paid). vTree's advantage is ratings volume (46 vs 1). 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.

TreeIDSmokies 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 TreeIDSmokies's.

vTree ships an update every 11 months, TreeIDSmokies every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | vTree | TreeIDSmokies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/treeidsmokies/id1605667322/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 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Peterson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175417672) | [Rodney Pearson](https://appshunter.io/developer/300352758) |

## 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


### TreeIDSmokies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/treeidsmokies/id1605667322)

Identify trees in the Great Smoky Mountains with this app. It leverages the region's diverse elevation, micro-climates, and rainfall to help you learn about the unique flora. No internet access is needed to use this educational tool.

**Highlights:** Tree identification for Smokies region, Utilizes elevation and micro-climate data, Information on diverse tree varieties, Offline functionality, Educational resource

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is vTree free?

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

### Is TreeIDSmokies free?

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

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

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

### Do vTree or TreeIDSmokies have ads?

Neither vTree nor TreeIDSmokies shows ads.

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

vTree ships an update every 11 months, and TreeIDSmokies every 4 days. Most recently, vTree was updated on October 11, 2026 and TreeIDSmokies on September 23, 2026.

---

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