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Education · head to head

PictureThis vs Star Walk 2

PictureThis logo

PictureThis

Education

Commercial plant identification app with a short free trial that converts to an annual subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Star Walk 2 logo

Star Walk 2

Education

Freemium stargazing app with a low-cost ad-free upgrade, aimed at casual sky watchers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Star Walk 2 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.; Star Walk 2 its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • They diverge on capability: PictureThis covers Plant identification, Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PictureThis and Star Walk 2 actually diverge.

Attributes where PictureThis and Star Walk 2 differ
AttributePictureThisStar Walk 2
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer year, sold via a short free trial that auto-renewsFreemium, low-cost ad-free subscription upgrade
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, macOS, Windows

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 Star Walk 2

  • Augmented reality sky view
  • Time travel mode
  • Satellite tracking
  • Night mode
  • Meteor shower and event alerts
  • Ad-free Plus tier

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 Star Walk 2
  • Someone willing to pay for a more polished interface than the free nonprofit alternativesnot Star Walk 2
  • A plant owner who wants toxicity warnings for pets and childrennot Star Walk 2
  • A buyer who reads the trial terms carefully and sets a reminder to cancel before it convertsnot Star Walk 2

Star Walk 2

  • A parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night skynot PictureThis
  • A traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitmentnot PictureThis
  • A casual stargazer who does not need telescope control or a deep-sky cataloguenot PictureThis
  • Someone wanting satellite pass tracking including the ISS on a budgetnot 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.

Star Walk 2

  • Its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, so it cannot drive a motorised mount.
  • The free tier carries ads, which some users find intrusive during a stargazing session.
  • It shares a visual style with many similar AR sky map apps, so its differentiation beyond price is limited.
  • Content depth for deep-sky objects and satellite catalogues lags noticeably behind Sky Guide Pro and SkySafari Pro.

Pricing, plan by plan

PictureThis

On request
  • PictureThis Annual$39.99/year
    • Unlimited plant identifications
    • Disease diagnosis
    • Care reminders and guides

Star Walk 2

Free
  • Star Walk 2Free
    • Core sky map and AR view
    • Ad-supported
  • Star Walk 2 Plus$5.99/year
    • Ads removed
    • Additional sky content

Which should you pick?

Choose PictureThis if

  • You need plant identification.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want disease diagnosis.
PictureThis review

Choose Star Walk 2 if

  • You need augmented reality sky view.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want time travel mode.
Star Walk 2 review

Questions people ask

Is PictureThis or Star Walk 2 better?
Neither clearly leads. PictureThis starts at On request and Star Walk 2 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PictureThis or Star Walk 2?
Star Walk 2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for PictureThis and Free for Star Walk 2.
Does PictureThis or Star Walk 2 run on more platforms?
PictureThis runs on iOS, Android. Star Walk 2 runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Star Walk 2 for free?
Yes. Star Walk 2 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 Star Walk 2 is typically brought in for.
What can PictureThis do that Star Walk 2 cannot?
PictureThis covers Plant identification, Disease diagnosis, Care reminders, Plant care library. Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view, Time travel mode, Satellite tracking, Night mode.

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.

Star Walk 2: Is Star Walk 2 free?

A free ad-supported version exists; Star Walk 2 Plus removes ads and adds content for a low annual or monthly fee.

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.

Star Walk 2: Does it support telescope control?

No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.

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.

Star Walk 2: How does it compare to SkySafari on price?

It is substantially cheaper, but with a much smaller star and deep-sky object catalogue.

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