Education · head to head
PictureThis vs Sky Guide
PictureThis
Education
Commercial plant identification app with a short free trial that converts to an annual subscription
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Sky Guide has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: PictureThis the free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.; Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- They diverge on capability: PictureThis covers Plant identification, Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PictureThis and Sky Guide actually diverge.
| Attribute | PictureThis | Sky Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | Per year, sold via a short free trial that auto-renews | Free download with Plus and Pro subscription upgrades |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in PictureThis
- Plant identification
- Disease diagnosis
- Care reminders
- Plant care library
- Toxicity warnings
- My Garden tracking
Only in Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
- Satellite tracking
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PictureThis
- A gardener who wants ongoing care reminders and disease diagnosis, not just a one-off identificationnot Sky Guide
- Someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternativesnot Sky Guide
- A plant owner who wants toxicity warnings for pets and childrennot Sky Guide
- A buyer who reads the trial terms carefully and sets a reminder to cancel before it convertsnot Sky Guide
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot PictureThis
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot PictureThis
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot PictureThis
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot PictureThis
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
PictureThis
- The free trial converts to a paid annual subscription automatically, and a documented pattern of user complaints describes unexpected charges when the trial was not cancelled in time.
- Cancellation has to be done through App Store or Play Store account settings, not by deleting the app, which catches users off guard.
- It solves the same core identification problem that Seek, PlantNet and Merlin solve for free, so the paid tier is competing against genuinely free options for the same task.
- Care guidance for uncommon or exotic species is criticised as generic rather than specific.
- Being a commercial product from a company that publishes near-identical identification apps for other categories, its plant-specific depth is not obviously deeper than a dedicated botanical tool.
Sky Guide
- It is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- It has moved from one-time purchase to a subscription model, and long-time users who paid once for earlier versions have criticised the change publicly.
- Pro tier pricing is high relative to Star Walk 2 for broadly similar core stargazing functionality.
- It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, which limits it to naked-eye and camera-based observing.
- Its relationship to other apps under the same distribution platform is not clearly documented, which makes long-term support commitments harder to assess.
Pricing, plan by plan
PictureThis
On request- PictureThis Annual$39.99/year
- Unlimited plant identifications
- Disease diagnosis
- Care reminders and guides
Sky Guide
Free- Sky GuideFree
- Base sky map and object labelling
- Sky Guide Plus$19.99/year
- Larger star and satellite catalogue
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Sky Guide Pro$39.99/year
- Very large deep-sky object catalogue
- Exoplanet data
- Extreme zoom
Which should you pick?
Choose PictureThis if
- You need plant identification.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want disease diagnosis.
Choose Sky Guide if
- You need light pollution forecasting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS.
- You also want meteor shower prediction.
Questions people ask
- Is PictureThis or Sky Guide better?
- Neither clearly leads. PictureThis starts at On request and Sky Guide at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PictureThis or Sky Guide?
- Sky Guide has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for PictureThis and Free for Sky Guide.
- Does PictureThis or Sky Guide run on more platforms?
- PictureThis runs on iOS, Android. Sky Guide runs on iOS.
- Can I use Sky Guide for free?
- Yes. Sky Guide has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PictureThis starts at On request.
- What is PictureThis best used for?
- PictureThis is most often used for a gardener who wants ongoing care reminders and disease diagnosis, not just a one-off identification, someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternatives, a plant owner who wants toxicity warnings for pets and children, a buyer who reads the trial terms carefully and sets a reminder to cancel before it converts. Of those, a gardener who wants ongoing care reminders and disease diagnosis, not just a one-off identification and someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternatives are not what Sky Guide is typically brought in for.
- What can PictureThis do that Sky Guide cannot?
- PictureThis covers Plant identification, Disease diagnosis, Care reminders, Plant care library. Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
PictureThis: Is there a free version?
A limited free tier exists with restricted identifications and ads; full use requires the paid subscription.
Sky Guide: Is Sky Guide free?
The base app is free to download; Plus and Pro are subscription upgrades for a larger catalogue and forecasting features.
PictureThis: How long is the free trial and does it auto-renew?
The trial is typically about seven days and auto-renews into the annual subscription unless cancelled beforehand through your App Store or Play Store settings.
Sky Guide: Did Sky Guide used to be a one-time purchase?
Yes, earlier versions were sold as a one-time purchase before it moved to the current free-plus-subscription model.
PictureThis: Is PictureThis the same as PlantNet or Seek?
No. PlantNet and Seek are free nonprofit identification tools; PictureThis is a commercial subscription product with more built-in care features.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
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