# Lab Laps vs BenchBuddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BenchBuddy at none against Lab Laps's 2. BenchBuddy also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). Lab Laps's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lab Laps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BenchBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lab Laps | BenchBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-laps-colony-counter/id6760195063/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **125** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 3 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 91 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lenard Szabo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883109149) | [HKraft Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780690745) |

## What reviewers say

### Lab Laps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-laps-colony-counter/id6760195063)

This app assists lab work with timed protocols, AI-assisted colony counting, dilution calculations, and other essential bench tools. It helps scientists and students organize experiments, manage materials, and document results efficiently, even offline.

**Highlights:** AI-assisted colony counting, Timed experiment protocols, Dilution calculator, Medium/buffer builder, Plate and gel annotation, Offline functionality

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lab Laps Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Lab Laps Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


### BenchBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benchbuddy-lab-toolkit/id6780690743)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lab Laps free?

Lab Laps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BenchBuddy free?

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

### Do Lab Laps or BenchBuddy have ads?

BenchBuddy shows ads; Lab Laps does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lab Laps or BenchBuddy?

Lab Laps ships an update every 3 days, and BenchBuddy every 3 days. Most recently, Lab Laps was updated on October 25, 2026 and BenchBuddy on October 5, 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.*