The Cell vs Codon One
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Cell
Explore a 3D scale model of an animal cell, complete with detailed descriptions of its organelles. The app visually represents the relative sizes of cell components and includes an optional scale bar for enhanced understanding.
- 3D scale model of an animal cell
- Organelle descriptions
- Relative organelle sizing
- Optional scale bar
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The Cell is a 3D scale model of a cell. It presents a generic model of animal cell with organelles descriptions. The size of the cell is related with the size of the organelles. A scale bar can also be shown by clicking the appropriate button.
Codon One
This app simplifies complex biology concepts through short, illustrated lessons and interactive quizzes. It offers AI-powered study assistance and allows users to create flashcards from lecture slides or PDFs. Study materials are available offline.
- Short, illustrated lessons
- Interactive quizzes
- AI study helper (Ribo)
- Flashcard creation from slides/PDFs
- Offline study mode
- Glossary and review tools
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Make complex biology click, and make it stick. Short, illustrated lessons explain one idea at a time, a quick quiz shows you what you've understood, and flashcards bring back what you'd otherwise forget. Module 1 is free, with no account and no subscription. Understand it, one step at a time Each section breaks complex ideas into clear explanations and diagrams, so you can follow even the hard topics. A quiz before you move on shows you where you stand. Lessons, quizzes, flashcards and the glossary all work offline, so you can study anywhere. Stuck? Ask Ribo, your AI study helper You don't have to search the web or wait for the next class. Ribo answers questions about the lesson page, glossary entry or missed quiz question in front of you. A few questions are free every day, and purchased modules give you more. Answers can be wrong, so check them against the lesson. Turn your lecture slides into flashcards Exam coming up? Photograph your slides or import the lecture PDF, and the glossary terms in them become flashcards. Swipe through the pages, zoom in and tap a term to read its entry. It all happens on your device, so your slides stay with you. Keep what you've learned Turn any topic into a flashcard deck: spaced practice brings back what you'd otherwise forget and focuses on the cards you find hardest. The Review tab shows you what to do today: the cards that are due, the quiz questions worth another look, your streak and your progress. Forgot a term? The glossary has the key terms from every module, plus the 20 amino acids and the nucleobases. What you'll learn Module 1: Chemistry of Life – atoms & elements, bonds, water, pH, biomolecules Module 2: Genetics – chromosomes, replication, transcription, translation, regulation Module 3: Evolution – history of life, phylogeny, selection, drift, speciation, molecular evolution Module 4: History of Science – ideas, methods, and experiments that shaped modern biology Module 5: Cell Biology – membranes & transport, organelles & energy, cytoskeleton, signaling, cell division Module 6: Development – fertilization & body plans, differentiation, pattern formation & morphogenesis, growth & repair, evo-devo Additional topics are planned for future updates, including Animal Physiology, Microbiology & Immunology, Plant Biology, and more. Pay once, no subscription Module 1 is free. Buy only the modules you need, or all of them with Unlock All, which also includes future modules. No subscription and no expiry. Also included: Sequence Operator, Codon Picker and Triplet Encoder, for working with DNA sequences and the genetic code. Created by expert biologists. Found a bug or have suggestions? Email info@codon-one.com — we read every message.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Cell at none against Codon One's 7. The Cell also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). Codon One's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). 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. Codon One sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. The Cell asks for nothing beyond the download.
Codon One holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Codon One has 25 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of The Cell's written reviews are positive against 76% of Codon One's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Cell ships an update every 5 months, Codon One monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Cell | Codon One |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) | 4.5 (25 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 76.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 25 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 217 MB | 269 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LTE-IB-UNICAMP | Daniel Gebert |
Customer experience
The Cell
Codon One
In-app purchases
The Cell
No in-app purchases
Codon One
- Module 1: Chemistry of LifeFree
- Module 2: Genetics$2.99
- Module 3: Evolution$2.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Module 4: Science History$2.99
- Module 5: Cell Biology$2.99
- Module 6: Development$2.99
- Unlock All$8.99
Questions
Is The Cell free?
Is Codon One free?
Which has better reviews, The Cell or Codon One?
Do The Cell or Codon One have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Cell or Codon One?
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