# PlantNet vs INPN Espèces

The clearest difference is rating: PlantNet at 4.6 against INPN Espèces's 4.0. PlantNet also leads on ratings volume (7.1K vs 1) and review sentiment (83% vs 70%). On price, update cadence, 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.

PlantNet holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PlantNet has 7.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of PlantNet's written reviews are positive against 70% of INPN Espèces's.

PlantNet ships an update every 2 months, INPN Espèces every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PlantNet | INPN Espèces |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plantnet/id600547573/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inpn-especes/id1111609919/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **82.5% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 82 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cirad-France](https://appshunter.io/developer/582949607) | [Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle](https://appshunter.io/developer/963208091) |

## What reviewers say

### PlantNet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plantnet/id600547573)

Identify plants by taking photos with your smartphone. Contribute to a global citizen science project to understand and preserve plant biodiversity. Recognizes thousands of wild and cultivated species.

**Highlights:** Identify plants by photographing them, Citizen science project for biodiversity, Supports identification of flowering plants, trees, grasses, and more, Recognizes cultivated plants in parks and gardens, Filter recognized species by genus or family, Map your observations, Links to plant factsheets

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Accurate plant identification
- 📚 Extensive plant database
- 🔍 Multiple identification options (flower, leaf, bark, etc.)
- 🤝 Community-driven identification
- 🆓 Free to use with no ads or subscriptions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional identification errors
- 🌍 Limited coverage of certain regions/countries
- 🤖 Struggles with rare or unusual plants
- 🤔 Confusing interface for some users
- 📤 Difficulty uploading/accessing past photos

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on some devices
- Geolocation issues (app thinks user is in wrong location)
- Inconsistent or missing plant identification results

**Requested features**

- Add more regional/local plant information
- Improve search and filtering options
- Provide plant care and usage details
- Allow users to save and organize identified plants
- Add a community forum or discussion features


### INPN Espèces

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inpn-especes/id1111609919)

Discover local wildlife and contribute to biodiversity monitoring. Easily share your observations with experts by uploading photos, location, and species details. Participate in scientific quests and educational activities.

**Highlights:** Discover local species, Share observations with experts, Photo identification, Geolocation of observations, Taxonomic group identification, Participate in scientific quests, Educational activities for schools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Educational and informative
- 🌟 Contributes to biodiversity knowledge
- 🎯 Gamified with points and quests
- 🤝 Expert validation of observations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Slow performance/loading
- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- ⏳ Long wait for observation validation
- ⚠️ Login/connection issues (expired token)
- 🤔 Difficulty creating accounts

**Reported bugs**

- Observations not being validated for a month
- Bugs in the application
- Impossible to send observations to experts
- Expired token error, preventing login
- Cannot reconnect after password reset

**Requested features**

- AI-based identification
- Social features (friends, sharing)
- Statistics directly in the app
- Ability to filter quests by location
- Display species already spotted in the commune


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PlantNet free?

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

### Is INPN Espèces free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PlantNet or INPN Espèces?

PlantNet is rated higher. PlantNet averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.1K ratings, while INPN Espèces averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PlantNet or INPN Espèces have ads?

Neither PlantNet nor INPN Espèces shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PlantNet or INPN Espèces?

PlantNet ships an update every 2 months, and INPN Espèces every 6 weeks. Most recently, PlantNet was updated on November 11, 2026 and INPN Espèces on November 2, 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.*