# PlantNet vs MLC School

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PlantNet at 83% against MLC School's 0%. PlantNet also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). MLC School's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

PlantNet ships an update every 2 months, MLC School every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PlantNet | MLC School |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plantnet/id600547573/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **82.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 80 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cirad-France](https://appshunter.io/developer/582949607) | [MLC SCHOOL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632843488) |

## 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


### MLC School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mlc-school/id1632843486)

Stay connected with your school community through instant updates, newsletters, and event information. Manage notification preferences for timely alerts and easily access contact details for quick communication.

**Highlights:** Instant school updates, Push notifications for urgent notices, School calendar with event subscriptions, Electronic newsletter delivery, Quick contact directory, Customizable notification settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PlantNet free?

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

### Is MLC School free?

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

### Do PlantNet or MLC School have ads?

Neither PlantNet nor MLC School shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PlantNet or MLC School?

PlantNet ships an update every 2 months, and MLC School every 8 months. Most recently, PlantNet was updated on September 24, 2026 and MLC School on June 7, 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.*