Comparison

Dog Decoder vs Dog Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Dog Decoder

Learn to interpret your dog's body language and understand their emotions. This app features illustrated poses with detailed diagrams and contextual information to help you avoid misunderstandings and build a stronger bond with your canine companion.

Highlights
  • Dog body language interpretation
  • Illustrated dog poses
  • Diagrams of body signals
  • Contextual pose descriptions
  • Interactive quizzes
  • Understanding dog emotions
Features
Read full description

Do you know how to read your dog’s body language? Do you understand when he tries to tell you he’s stressed, or submissive, or ready for fun-time? Can you tell the difference between excitement and fear, or between aggression and the need to play? Dog language can be confusing, but with the help of Dog Decoder, you’ll understand your dog’s signals like a pro. Dog Decoder will teach you everything you need to know about how your dog communicates, so you can not only avoid bites, but share in a more satisfying, healthy, and loving relationship. === MEET “DIAMOND” === Diamond is your tour guide and trainer. He will show you how he looks when he’s afraid, when he’s stressed, when he’s just about to bite, and when he wants to play. === DOG POSTURES === There are about SIXTY different poses on display in Dog Decoder. Each pose is beautifully and expressively illustrated by one of the world’s top dog artists. Each pose comes with a diagram, pointing out where on Diamond’s body he’s indicating how he’s feeling. For example, in the poses for “fear,” the diagram will point out Diamond’s tucked tail, his ears pulled back, etc. We won’t just show you a picture of a scared dog — we’ll teach you what to look for, the signs of fear. Each pose also comes with a helpful description of the context. This is where you will learn about some common misconceptions, or what kinds of situations will cause your dog to assume each posture. === TEST YOURSELF! === The best way to see how much you’ve learned is to take the quiz! Some of the quiz questions are pretty challenging. Diamond wants to make sure you don’t get fooled next time he’s hiding under the coffee table or drooling – will you recognize the early warning signs of stress? Will you be able to warn your children when your dog is clearly done playing?

About

Dog Scanner

Instantly identify dog breeds by taking a photo, recording a video, or uploading an image. The app also recognizes mixed breeds and can even tell you which dog breeds humans resemble. Join a community to share results and participate in gamified challenges.

Highlights
  • Identify dog breeds from photos
  • Recognize mixed breeds
  • Human resemblance to dog breeds
  • Community social feed
  • Gamified challenges and rankings
  • Access comprehensive breed database
Features
Read full description

See a dog, but don't know its breed? Just take a picture and find out! The Dog Scanner app will identify your dog's breed reliably in just a few seconds! Besides taking a picture, you can also record a video or upload an image from your gallery. Got a mixed breed? No problem, the Dog Scanner app also recognizes mixed breeds! We provide you with detailed data and interesting facts about the different breeds of your mixed breed dog. No dog around? Doesn’t matter! The Dog Scanner app also recognizes humans: Simply scan yourself, your friends, your family or the people around you and find out which dogs you resemble the most! ------ NEW! Become a part of our Dog Scanner community! Share your results and compare them to the results of the community! Upload pictures of your favorite dog to our Social Feed and share them with other dog lovers! Have a look at the profiles and photos of other users, like and comment on posts from our dog community and filter them by date or popularity! Additionally, you can easily share your posts with your friends by simply sending a picture directly from the Dog Scanner app. ------ NEW! Catch all dog breeds and become an expert! Catch all the dog breeds with our Gamification feature – just like in Pokémon Go! Master the challenges, earn virtual treats and become a true dog expert! Compete with your friends or users from the community and climb to the top of our ranking list! ------ All dog breeds in the Dog Scanner app! The Dog Scanner app currently identifies more than 370 different dog breeds, including all breeds officially recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and even some more! Our comprehensive database with information and pictures of all dog breeds (including the unofficial ones) can also be accessed completely without scanning! Give us feedback on the Dog Scanner app! Let us know if the dog’s breed has been correctly identified. If not, you will get useful tips to improve your own results. If you also indicate which dog breed is in the picture, you help us to enhance our software since the app automatically learns how to provide even more accurate outcomes. Also suggest or vote for (unofficial) dog breeds that you want us to add to the app in the future! Get your premium upgrade! With our premium version, the app will no longer show ads and your results will be available faster. Furthermore, you can now choose whether your dog breeds should be recognized rather quickly or with higher accuracy. With the premium version, scanning dogs is also possible in offline mode, so you no longer need an active internet connection to identify their breeds. With the optional in-app purchase of our premium version, you will also help to support this app. ------ Find us on social media! On our social media channels we provide you with the most beautiful dog pictures from the community. You will also find many interesting facts about man's best friend. Furthermore, we will keep you updated on all new added features of the Dog Scanner app in the future. * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogscanner_app * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogScannerApp * Twitter: https://twitter.com/dogscanner_app ------ Just give it a shot! Dog recognition as easy as it gets! Despite the small app size you will get all features and be able to identify a dog’s breed or get access to our extensive database at any time! Before you consider getting an expensive DNA test, simply scan your dog with the app and the dog breed will automatically be determined within seconds! Download the Dog Scanner app now! Terms of Service: https://scanner.siwalusoftware.com/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Dog Decoder4 screens
Dog Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dog Scanner at Free against Dog Decoder's $3.99. Dog Scanner also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 20 months). Dog Decoder's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Dog Scanner is free to download; Dog Decoder costs $3.99 up front. Dog Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Dog Decoder asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dog Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dog Scanner has 37K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Dog Decoder's written reviews are positive against 43% of Dog Scanner's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dog Decoder ships an update every 20 months, Dog Scanner every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Dog Decoder versus Dog Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDog DecoderDog Scanner
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (24 ratings)4.6 (37K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.4% of reviews — better42.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2437K — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB165 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerjill breitnerSiwalu Software GmbH

Customer experience

Dog Decoder

All ratings24 ratings
Positive54.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive67.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative27.9%

Dog Scanner

All ratings36,550 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews459 reviews
Positive42.7%
Neutral7.0%
Negative50.3%

Bugs and requests

Dog Decoder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Dog Scanner

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes after displaying results
  • Freezing and loading issues
  • Inability to post or interact with the community

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to suggest breeds not in the database
  • Ability to filter results by region/location
  • Improved social features with moderation
  • Video upload and analysis capabilities

In-app purchases

None

Dog Decoder

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Dog Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • All Access$1.497 Days
  • All Access$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Dog Scanner Premium$13.99

Questions

Is Dog Decoder free?
Dog Decoder costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dog Scanner free?
Dog Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dog Decoder or Dog Scanner?
Dog Scanner is rated higher. Dog Decoder averages 3.4 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Dog Scanner averages 4.6 from 37K ratings.
Do Dog Decoder or Dog Scanner have ads?
Dog Scanner shows ads; Dog Decoder does not.
Which is updated more often, Dog Decoder or Dog Scanner?
Dog Decoder ships an update every 20 months, and Dog Scanner every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dog Decoder was updated on October 11, 2026 and Dog Scanner on October 14, 2026.

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