Pistils & Pollen vs PlantScan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pistils & Pollen
Cultivate your plant care skills and connect with a supportive community of plant enthusiasts. Access expert-backed lessons, a comprehensive resource library, and share inspiration. Offers exclusive perks for subscribers.
- Supportive plant care community
- Guided plant care learning courses
- Extensive plant care resource library
- Inspirational plant styling ideas
- Exclusive subscriber perks and discounts
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Pistils & Pollen: Cultivate Connection Through Plants Step into a space where plants and people grow together. Whether you’re caring for your very first pothos or curating a home full of green companions, the Pistils & Pollen app is here to guide, encourage, and connect you every step of the way. This is more than just a plant care app—it’s a welcoming community of curious, kind plant lovers and a growing library of wisdom, inspiration, and support. Inside the app, you’ll find: A THOUGHTFUL, SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY Ask questions, swap stories, celebrate growth, and troubleshoot with others who genuinely care. Our community is full of generous, engaged plant parents ready to help you thrive. GUIDED PLANT CARE LEARNING Our Houseplant Essentials course offers beginner-friendly, expert-backed lessons to help you care for your plants with confidence. Learn at your own pace—no pressure, just growth. A GROWING RESOURCE LIBRARY Access dozens of beautifully written plant care articles on everything from watering and light to pest management and styling. Designed to meet you wherever you are in your plant journey. INSPIRATION ROOTED IN JOY From cozy plant corners to seasonal tips, our members share ideas that invite you to slow down, savor the process, and reconnect with nature—right from your living room. PERKS FOR PASSIONATE PLANT PARENTS U.S.-based users can subscribe to our PlantPals program for $1.99 monthly, which offers exclusive discounts and early access to rare and unusual plants from the Pistils & Pollen plant shop. Come for the plant care tips. Stay for the people. Grow something beautiful. Download Pistils & Pollen and join a thriving community of plant lovers helping each other grow—one leaf, one story, one season at a time. http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
PlantScan
Identify plants and learn about their care needs by scanning their leaves. Get general recommendations for watering, sunlight, and maintenance. Ideal for new plant owners.
- Leaf and plant scanning
- Plant identification
- Care guides
- Watering recommendations
- Sunlight exposure info
- Maintenance suggestions
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PlantScan allows you to scan plant leaves and discover useful information about them. Take a photo to identify plants and explore general care recommendations such as watering frequency, sunlight exposure, and maintenance suggestions. Features: - Leaf and plant scanning - Informational care guides - Clean and simple design - Suitable for beginners Subscription: PlantScan offers optional subscription plans for access to premium features. Subscriptions can be managed or canceled through your Apple ID settings. Disclaimer: This app provides general plant information and does not guarantee accuracy of results. It is intended for educational use only. Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/aiplantscan/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/aiplantscan/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pistils & Pollen at 5.0 against PlantScan's 4.3. PlantScan's advantage is ratings volume (430 vs 5) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Pistils & Pollen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PlantScan sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pistils & Pollen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PlantScan has 430 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Pistils & Pollen ships an update every 3 weeks, PlantScan every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pistils & Pollen | PlantScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better | 4.3 (430 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 20.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 430 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 67 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | James Mastaler | 焱辉 史 |
Customer experience
Pistils & Pollen
PlantScan
In-app purchases
Pistils & Pollen
- PlantPals Subscription$1.991 Month
- Masterclass$49.99
PlantScan
- PlantScan 1 Week Pro7 Days trial$19.997 Days
- PlantScan 1 Week Pro3 Days trial$19.997 Days
- PlantScan 1 Year Pro$29.991 Year
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- PlantScan 1 Year Pro$34.991 Year
- PlantScan 1 Year Pro$89.991 Year







