# The Cell vs Codon One

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Cell | Codon One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-cell/id779433459/reviews) | **[4.5 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codon-one-biology-study/id1517313390/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **25** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 76.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 217 MB | 269 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LTE-IB-UNICAMP](https://appshunter.io/developer/421224798) | [Daniel Gebert](https://appshunter.io/developer/1517313389) |

## What reviewers say

### The Cell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-cell/id779433459)

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.

**Highlights:** 3D scale model of an animal cell, Organelle descriptions, Relative organelle sizing, Optional scale bar

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Codon One

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codon-one-biology-study/id1517313390)

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.

**Highlights:** Short, illustrated lessons, Interactive quizzes, AI study helper (Ribo), Flashcard creation from slides/PDFs, Offline study mode, Glossary and review tools

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Module 1: Chemistry of Life | Free | one-time |
| Module 2: Genetics | $2.99 | one-time |
| Module 3: Evolution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Module 4: Science History | $2.99 | one-time |
| Module 5: Cell Biology | $2.99 | one-time |
| Module 6: Development | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Cell free?

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

### Is Codon One free?

Codon One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Cell or Codon One?

Codon One is rated higher. The Cell averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Codon One averages 4.5 from 25 ratings.

### Do The Cell or Codon One have ads?

Neither The Cell nor Codon One shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Cell or Codon One?

The Cell ships an update every 5 months, and Codon One monthly. Most recently, The Cell was updated on November 11, 2026 and Codon One on November 13, 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.*