arktur vs ArchSpy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
arktur
Read full descriptionHide full description
Uncover the stories behind what you see. EXPLORE YOUR SURROUNDINGS A fast map highlights interesting buildings around you, with seamless browsing. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SEE Discover the history, design, and context of buildings, and learn more about their architects and styles. DISCOVER RELATED BUILDINGS Use See also to jump to similar buildings and keep exploring. PLAN YOUR OWN TOURS Save your favorites, curate custom architecture tours, and share them easily with friends. FIND EXACTLY WHAT FASCINATES YOU Modern classics? Brutalism? Typologies like housing, museums, or industrial sites? Filter by style, era, or typology to find what you’re looking for. Discover architecture right where you are. Or where you're heading.
ArchSpy
Discover the history and architecture of buildings around you using augmented reality. Point your phone to identify structures, view key facts like year built and architect, and explore detailed stories. Unlock deeper historical content and offline access with a subscription.
- Augmented reality building identification
- Key facts: year built, architect, style
- Detailed historical stories
- Offline access for travel
- Log of visited buildings
- Credited public sources
Read full descriptionHide full description
ArchSpy — the story behind the buildings around you. Ever walked past an old building and wondered what it was, who built it, or why it looks the way it does? Point your phone and find out. ArchSpy uses augmented reality to reveal the history and architecture of the buildings around you — names, dates, architects, styles, and the stories behind them. ArchSpy works anywhere — point it at a building and it tells you what the world's open records know. Local and national archives go deeper in Portland, San Francisco, and Chicago, across the United States through the National Register of Historic Places, and in England, Ireland, and Australia. Every fact is credited to the record it came from. FREE TO EXPLORE • Point your camera to identify nearby buildings in AR • See the key facts: year built, architect, style, and a short history • Discover the architecture you walk past every day GO DEEPER WITH KEYSTONE • The full history of every building — complete architectural descriptions and the people, events, and stories behind them • Offline access for walking and travel • A log of the buildings you've visited Built by an independent developer who loves old buildings. Every source is public and credited. More cities are coming — tell us where you want ArchSpy next. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Keystone is an auto-renewing subscription: $3.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. Introductory pricing may be available to new subscribers; the offer price and its duration are shown on the purchase screen before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically at the standard price unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the period ending. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://archspy.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: arktur at none against ArchSpy's 6. arktur also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. ArchSpy sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. arktur asks for nothing beyond the download.
arktur ships an update every 6 days, ArchSpy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | arktur | ArchSpy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Fritz Schulz | Morgan Senkal |
In-app purchases
arktur
No in-app purchases
ArchSpy
- Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
- Yearly1 Year trial$29.991 Year
- Small Tip$2.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Big Tip$9.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Very Big Tip$14.99









