Comparison

i vs MicroSNAP

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

Head to head
About

i

Transform your smartphone into a powerful magnification tool. Observe and record microscopic details with your phone's camera and a macro lens. Measure objects with a scale bar and add notes to your digital micrographs.

Highlights
  • Professional magnification tool
  • Record digital micrographs
  • Optical magnification
  • Up to 10x digital zoom
  • Scale bar for measurement
  • Add notes and remarks
  • Direct photo sharing
Features
Read full description

Use this app to work with smartphone microscopes or any phone macro-lens as an professional magnification tool to observe tiny objects and record digital micrographs with your Phone. Features: Capture of photos with tiny objects as you do with sophisticated optical microscope Optical magnification ratio depending on your smartphone microscope Up to 10x digital magnification in App Scale bar for objects measurement which can be toggled on/off Automatic recording of shooting date and time Allow you to add notes and remarks to your picture Direct sharing of photos with email, message. Attach smartphone microscope to your Phone and convert it into a convenient portable microscope. Capture and save micrographs. Zoom in on photos and tag pictures with comments. Access your photos from your i-Seeing app, email them to your computer and colleagues. More detail at: www.mobile-scope.com

About

MicroSNAP

Features
Read full description

MicroSNAP is a mobile app specifically developed for use with the EXC-100 WiFi-enabled microscopes (required) from ACCU-SCOPE Inc. MicroSNAP allows the user to use their mobile device to view live images, capture images, or capture video from the EXC-100 WiFi-enabled microscopes (the mobile device connects to the built-in WiFi camera of the microscope via IEEE 802.11ac signal). MicroSNAP offers a selection of measurement tools and, after calibrating the camera using the app and a stage micrometer (purchased separately), accurate measurements of features in the sample image can be made. MicroSNAP and EXC-100 WiFi-enabled microscopes only allow one mobile device connection at a time. When multiple people want to use the same microscope, please disconnect from the camera’s WiFi signal before the next user can operate the camera. Using MicroSNAP is a “snap”! Plug-in the microscope – the camera gets its power directly from the microscope. Turn the microscope light on by rotating the light intensity control knob – you will hear a click and then see light coming up from the bottom of the microscope. To connect to the microscope, launch the MicroSNAP app, press the [-] button and use the camera on your phone or tablet to scan the QR code on the microscope. Alternatively, you can open the WiFi settings on your mobile device and choose the “MicroSNAP-xxx” network. You may see a message about no internet connection – this is OK as your mobile device is connected to the WiFi camera and not the internet. Next, tap the MicroSNAP icon on your mobile device and you are ready to start using the camera. Even if someone wants to view the sample using the eyepieces of the microscope, you will still see what they see on your mobile device. IMPORTANT: Always unplug the microscope when not in use. For more detailed information about the MicroSNAP app for mobile devices and the MicroSNAP app for Windows PC, please visit our Support page https://accu-scope.com/support/instruction-manuals, and scroll down to Manuals – Current Cameras.

Screenshots

i3 screens
MicroSNAP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MicroSNAP at every 5 weeks against i's every 14 months. MicroSNAP also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

i ships an update every 14 months, MicroSNAP every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
i versus MicroSNAP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMicroSNAP
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (35 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings35 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShanghai Qingying Electronic Technology LLCACCU-SCOPE INC.

In-app purchases

None

i

No in-app purchases

None

MicroSNAP

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is i free?
i is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MicroSNAP free?
MicroSNAP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do i or MicroSNAP have ads?
Neither i nor MicroSNAP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, i or MicroSNAP?
i ships an update every 14 months, and MicroSNAP every 5 weeks. Most recently, i was updated on September 18, 2026 and MicroSNAP on September 17, 2026.

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