Comparison

Nature's Lost Vault vs FieldGuide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Nature's Lost Vault

Features
Read full description

These plants didn't fail us. We were taught to forget them. Nature's Lost Vault is a digital grimoire built for foragers, herbalists, and anyone curious about the medicines that quietly disappeared from modern life. 125 plants, every entry written by hand, every claim traceable to its source. ——— WHAT'S INSIDE ——— Each plant carries the full grimoire: • Identification — what it looks like, where it grows, what it's confused with • Story — the suppressed history, who used it, who profited from the forgetting • Protocol — traditional teas, tinctures, decoctions, salves, dosing notes • Growing — soil, light, propagation, USDA zone references ——— IDENTIFY WHAT'S HERE ——— Open the scanner, photograph any plant in front of you. We match it against the living archive. If the plant is in the vault, you get the full entry. If not, the global plant database fills in the gap. ——— READ WHAT WAS TAKEN ——— Centuries of plant medicine, quietly displaced. Not by accident. By industry, by patent, by the slow erasure of what couldn't be owned. The plant's true history. Why it disappeared from the pharmacy. Who profited from its erasure. Every claim sourced. ——— USE WHAT WAS FORGOTTEN ——— Parts used. Preparations. Traditional dosages. Warnings. The remedy detail no supplement bottle will ever print. Curated, not generated. Not scraped. Not written by AI. ——— FREE VS PRO ——— Browse the full Gallery for free. Read every plant's Story without paying. Pro unlocks the scanner, the full protocols (recipes and dosing), and your personal Vault for saving plants. ——— WHO IT'S FOR ——— Foragers walking the meadow. Herbalists building their first apothecary. Gardeners growing medicinal herbs alongside the kitchen ones. Homesteaders, history readers, sustainable-living curious. Anyone who has wondered why their grandmother knew something the pharmacist doesn't. ——— CURATED, NOT GENERATED ——— Every entry is original writing, checked against historical sources. We've spent months in archives so you don't have to wade through AI slop. 11 healing categories. 500+ verified historical sources. From the team behind Nature's Lost Vault, followed by half a million people across YouTube and Facebook. ——— EDUCATIONAL, NOT MEDICAL ——— This is a knowledge archive, not medical advice. All references to traditional uses are framed as historical and traditional, not therapeutic. Always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any plant for medicinal purposes. ——— SUBSCRIPTION ——— $9.99/month or $39.99/year. Cancel anytime in App Store settings. Your subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage subscriptions in your App Store account. Privacy policy: naturelostvault.com/privacy Terms: naturelostvault.com/terms Welcome to the vault.

About

FieldGuide

Identify plants and understand their ecological impact in your region. This app helps you distinguish between native, invasive, and introduced species, fostering a deeper connection with your local environment. It also features a gamified journal to track your discoveries and contribute to conservation efforts.

Highlights
  • Regional native and invasive plant identification
  • Ecological context for plant classifications
  • Gamified botanical journal
  • Virtual plant sanctuary with seed unlocking
  • Progress tracking through ranger ranks
  • Daily and weekly field goals
  • Privacy-first design with no account required
Features
Read full description

Know your land. Protect your ecosystem. Most plant identifier apps tell you what a plant is, but they don’t tell you the most important thing: Does it belong here? FieldGuide: Native Plants is an intelligent field companion and gamified botanical journal designed to connect you with your local ecosystem. With instant regional classification across 70+ countries and territories, FieldGuide shows you whether a plant is Native, Introduced, or an aggressive Invasive threatening local biodiversity. Whether you're hiking backcountry trails, gardening with pollinator-friendly species, or walking through your neighborhood, FieldGuide turns every outdoor stroll into a rewarding ecological adventure. NEW IN 2.1: THE NATIVE POCKET SANCTUARY Turn your real-world observations into a flourishing virtual sanctuary! • Unlock Native Seeds: Scan and identify real native plants in the wild to unlock their seeds for your virtual bench. • Daily Botanical Care: Tend your three terracotta pots once a day and watch plants progress through 5 realistic growth stages—from cotyledon sprout to full pollinator bloom. • Zero-Guilt Summer Dormancy: Native plants are built for resilience. If you miss days or weeks, your plants never wither or die; they simply enter natural dormancy until your next visit. KEY FEATURES: ◆ HYPER-LOCAL NATIVE & INVASIVE INTELLIGENCE Scan any leaf, flower, or tree to get instant identification backed by regional floristic data. See clearly if a species is: • Native: Evolutionarily adapted to support your local wildlife and soil. • Invasive: High-impact disruptors with local reporting links and ecological context. • Introduced / Naturalized: Non-native species with low ecological threat. ◆ 3-SHELF BOTANICAL FIELD BOOK Build a clean, personal record of your encounters without clutter: • Shelf 1 (Regional Starter Set): Discover and solve look-only clues for signature native plants adapted to your corner of the globe. • Shelf 2 (Bonus Finds): An unconstrained log of every native and introduced plant you discover. • Shelf 3 (Invader Log): A private learning log of invasive species with safe removal guidelines and local reporting resources. ◆ RANGER STATION & BOTANICAL GAMIFICATION • 8 Ranger Ranks: Climb the ranks from Sprout Scout to Master Naturalist as you explore. • Daily Field Goals & Field Notes: Complete 3 daily field objectives to unlock permanent ecological Field Notes written by botanists. • Weekly Field Breakthrough: Log 3 outdoor exploration days per week to earn streak bonuses. • Field Badges: Earn 9 deterministic achievements celebrating habitat stewardship, early morning hikes, and botanical diversity. ◆ LEAVE NO TRACE & ETHICAL BOTANY FieldGuide is founded on "Look, Don't Touch" field ethics. We encourage hands-off appreciation of wild flora, especially rare or sensitive native species. ◆ PRIVACY-FIRST BY DESIGN Your outdoor explorations remain yours. No intrusive background GPS tracking, no account required to start, and your Field Book stays private on your device. FIELD PASS & PRICING FieldGuide offers 3 free identifications every day. Upgrade to Field Pass for unlimited daily scans, complete regional candidate comparisons, unlocked botanical field notes, and unlimited habitat tracking. • Field Pass Monthly: $4.99 / month (includes a 7-day free trial). Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple ID Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://fieldguide-app.vercel.app

Screenshots

Nature's Lost Vault4 screens
FieldGuide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: FieldGuide at 3 against Nature's Lost Vault's 1. FieldGuide also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nature's Lost Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and FieldGuide sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Nature's Lost Vault versus FieldGuide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNature's Lost VaultFieldGuide
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB20 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGalaxy MediaAlexander Drummond

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Nature's Lost Vault

Subscriptions2
  • Nature's Lost Vault Pro (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$39.991 Year
1 purchases

FieldGuide

Subscriptions1
  • Field Pass$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Nature's Lost Vault free?
Nature's Lost Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FieldGuide free?
FieldGuide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nature's Lost Vault or FieldGuide have ads?
Neither Nature's Lost Vault nor FieldGuide shows ads.

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