Archie vs askCORB
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Archie
Point your camera at any building to instantly identify its architectural style, era, and key features. Explore a curated map of notable buildings, listen to narrated histories, and build a personal library of your discoveries.
- AI-powered building style identification
- Detailed architectural feature analysis
- Curated map of notable buildings
- Spoken building histories and stories
- Personalized library of identified buildings
- Offline analysis and map packs
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Point your camera at any building and know what you're looking at. Archie identifies the architectural style of any building from a photo, then teaches you why. Snap a facade and get the style, the era, the visible features that give it away, and the story behind it. It's like having an architecture professor in your pocket. HOW IT WORKS • Snap a building (or import a photo from your library) • Archie's AI matches it against 146 architectural styles, from Gothic to Googie, Brutalism to Beaux-Arts, Brooklyn brownstones to Czech Cubism • See the features that signal the style (pointed arches, corbels, tracery) ringed on your photo one at a time and explained in plain language • Archie looks for the exact building in a database of 1,755,352 buildings, then on the web, and names it only when it can check the match • Named buildings open with their own history and their architect's story • Still curious? Tap a suggested question about the building, its style, or its architect • Every result includes a note about the exact building in your photo EXPLORE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD The Map puts 5,700+ noteworthy buildings at your feet across 135 U.S. cities: famous landmarks and hidden gems, each with photos and the story of why it matters. See what's near you, filter for landmarks or hidden gems, walk over, and photograph a mapped building to collect it. More cities on the way. LISTEN AS YOU LOOK Every result comes with a spoken story in chapters, from the building's history to its architect's. Play it all or jump to a chapter, and it keeps playing with your screen locked. Every mapped building has its story too. It's a walking tour that starts wherever you're standing. BUILD YOUR LIFELIST Every style you identify unlocks in your LifeList: a field guide of all 146 styles to collect, each with its own drawing and real-world examples from around the globe, plus 50 famous architects to spot. Spotting styles becomes a game you play with every walk. YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY Every save keeps the photo and its full analysis, readable offline. Browse by month, style, architect or city, or search as you type. Vacation buildings, hometown gems: your record of everything you've learned. MADE FOR EXPLORERS • Works worldwide, on anything from cathedrals to bungalows • Offline queue: snap now, analyze when you're back online • City map packs work offline once downloaded • Share cards for your best finds, sized for Instagram Stories and posts • Optional account: sign in with Apple, Google, or your email to back up your Library and LifeList across your iPhones. Identifying needs no account. No ads. PRIVACY FIRST Identifying a building needs no account. Photos are analyzed in the cloud and aren't kept on Archie's servers unless you save one to your account or report a wrong answer. If you allow location, your position and the direction you're facing go with the photo to work out which building it is, and aren't stored apart from those saves and reports. Sign in only if you want your saves backed up; they're stored for you alone until you delete them. With an account we may email you now and then about new features or research; you choose when you sign up and can turn it off in Settings. No ads in the app and no tracking across other apps: Archie never touches your advertising identifier. FREE & PREMIUM Your first 3 identifications are free, no strings. Archie Unlimited removes the limit and unlocks every place on the map, as a yearly plan that starts with a 7-day free trial or a one-time lifetime unlock. The yearly plan auto-renews until cancelled in your App Store settings; cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged. Your Library and LifeList stay fully readable without a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://thearchieapp.com/privacy/
askCORB
This app is a comprehensive study tool designed to help architects prepare for and pass all six NCARB ARE 5.0 exams. It offers a vast question bank, flashcards, AI tutoring, and smart progress tracking with a focus on user privacy.
- 4000+ practice questions
- 1000+ flashcards
- AI architecture tutor
- Smart progress tracking
- Anki-style spaced repetition
- Distraction-free experience
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MASTER THE NCARB ARE 5.0 Your complete study companion for passing all six NCARB ARE 5.0 exams WHAT YOU GET: - 4000+ practice questions and 1000+ flashcards organized by division and section - Detailed explanations for every answer - CORB, your AI architecture tutor answers any questions you have - Smart progress tracking across all exam areas - Anki-style spaced repetition flashcard system - Clean, distraction-free study experience PRIVACY FIRST: No account required. No tracking. All data stays on your device. Perfect for architects preparing for licensure. Download now and pass the ARE with confidence.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Archie at Free against askCORB's $39.99. Archie also leads on ratings volume (15 vs 1) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). askCORB's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Archie is free to download; askCORB costs $39.99 up front. Archie sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. askCORB asks for nothing beyond the download.
askCORB holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Archie has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Archie ships an update every 6 days, askCORB every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Archie | askCORB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $39.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jason Girouard | Nicholas Lutsko |
Customer experience
Archie
askCORB
In-app purchases
Archie
- Archie Unlimited — Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Archie Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
- Archie Unlimited — Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Archie Unlimited — Lifetime$49.99
askCORB
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Archie free?
Is askCORB free?
Which has better reviews, Archie or askCORB?
Do Archie or askCORB have ads?
Which is updated more often, Archie or askCORB?
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