# Sea Shell Identifier vs Sanibel Shell ID

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sanibel Shell ID at 100% against Sea Shell Identifier's 14%. Sanibel Shell ID also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). Sea Shell Identifier's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and ratings volume (169 vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Sea Shell Identifier is free to download; Sanibel Shell ID costs $4.99 up front. Sea Shell Identifier sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Sanibel Shell ID asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sanibel Shell ID holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sea Shell Identifier has 169 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Sea Shell Identifier's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sanibel Shell ID's.

Sea Shell Identifier ships an update every 3 weeks, Sanibel Shell ID every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sea Shell Identifier | Sanibel Shell ID |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.9 (169 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sea-shell-identifier-scanner/id6737782924/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sanibel-shell-id/id6759305838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **169** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 13.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 60 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [APPMERGE TEKNOLOJI LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822845284) | [Silver Key Development LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877990905) |

## What reviewers say

### Sea Shell Identifier

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sea-shell-identifier-scanner/id6737782924)

Identify seashells instantly using AI. This app provides detailed biological insights and allows you to manage your personal collection of coastal finds with location tagging.

**Highlights:** AI photo identification, 1000+ species database, Expert biological insights, Personal collection management, Location tagging for finds, Detailed species profiles

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Premium | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great design
- 🚀 Quick results
- 💡 Lots of interesting info

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Inaccurate identification
- 😞 Does not work
- 😞 App closes down
- 😞 Expensive subscription
- 😞 Glitchy scans

**Reported bugs**

- App closes immediately when trying to take a picture
- App uses the first picture for subsequent scans instead of the newest
- App requires purchase again after one hour
- Camera function does not work
- Scans are glitchy

**Requested features**

- Allow trying before buying
- Lower subscription price
- Improve accuracy of shell identification
- Allow more free scans
- Fix app closing issue


### Sanibel Shell ID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sanibel-shell-id/id6759305838)

Instantly identify seashells found on Southwest Florida beaches using AI photo recognition. Learn about species, rarity, and size, then track your finds in a personal collection and earn achievement badges.

**Highlights:** AI photo identification, Personal shell collection, Achievement badges, Offline shell guide, Confidence scores, Find counts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sea Shell Identifier free?

Sea Shell Identifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sanibel Shell ID free?

Sanibel Shell ID costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sea Shell Identifier or Sanibel Shell ID?

Sanibel Shell ID is rated higher. Sea Shell Identifier averages 3.9 out of 5 from 169 ratings, while Sanibel Shell ID averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Sea Shell Identifier or Sanibel Shell ID have ads?

Neither Sea Shell Identifier nor Sanibel Shell ID shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sea Shell Identifier or Sanibel Shell ID?

Sea Shell Identifier ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sanibel Shell ID every 2 months. Most recently, Sea Shell Identifier was updated on October 31, 2026 and Sanibel Shell ID on October 28, 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.*