Photograph a leaf, get the name, the watering schedule and a diagnosis. 70 apps, 69 developers. Two publishers hold the top three, and under them five developers with one app each sit in the $50–250k band. The top six launched between 2017 and 2022. Eighteen apps launched in the last 18 months and hold 4% of the review pace. The loudest complaint, 209 mentions across eleven of twelve leaders, is about a scan that used to be free.
Appaloma readings · Photo a plant, get its care · 2026-08-30
- OpeningOpenOpen when a quarter or more of the niche launched in the last 18 months
- Demand100Revealed by rating velocity across the niche, 0–100
- Crowding48How much of the niche the top apps already hold, 0–100
- Apps7012 researched over $20k a month
- New18launched in the last 18 months, holding 4% of the niche's review pace
- Floor$1.2M+a month, adding the band floors of 69 researched apps
What the niche is
Identification gets the install: point the camera, get the species. Care keeps the subscription: reminders, light meter, a diagnosis when the leaves go brown, a botanist on chat. The apps that last sell the second part.
It sits inside plant identification and care, next to mushroom and bird identifiers, in the nature identification family.
Who leads
| App | Since | Ratings | Stars | Prices | Band | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Plantum - AI Plant IdentifierAIBY | Aug 2019 | 118,630 | 4.6 | $1.99–$59.99 | $250k+ |
| 2 |  Plant Parent: Plant Care GuideGlority Global Group Ltd. | Apr 2022 | 89,577 | 4.7 | $3.99–$59.99 | $250k+ |
| 3 |  PictureThis - Plant IdentifierGlority Global Group Ltd. | Jul 2017 | 1,104,002 | 4.8 | $3.99–$49.99 | $50–250k |
| 4 |  Planta: Plant & Garden CarePlanta AB | Nov 2018 | 112,851 | 4.8 | $7.99–$47.99 | $50–250k |
| 5 |  Plant Identifier: PlantiaryPlantiary | Dec 2021 | 27,692 | 4.7 | $6.99–$49.99 | $50–250k |
| 6 |  Greg: Plant Identifier & CareGREGARIOUS, INC | Oct 2020 | 20,384 | 4.6 | $1.99–$39.99 | $50–250k |
| 7 |  Plant Identifier & Care: FicusMornhouse Limited | Apr 2021 | 6,981 | 4.4 | $4.99–$79.99 | $50–250k |
| 8 |  Plant Identifier: ChatPlant AIChatPlant Ltd. | Oct 2023 | 4,628 | 4.5 | $6.99–$69.99 | $50–250k |
| 9 |  PlantIn: Plant Identifier・CareVortemol Limited | Aug 2020 | 227,570 | 4.6 | $6.99–$49.99 | $20–50k |
| 10 |  Blossom - Plant Care GuideMosaic S.r.l. | Feb 2020 | 68,722 | 4.6 | $4.99–$79.99 | $20–50k |
| 11 |  Plant Identifier, Care: PlantyMust Have Apps | Feb 2022 | 37,788 | 4.7 | $6.99–$39.99 | $20–50k |
| 12 |  Plant Identifier & Care AppBotan App Limited LLC | Mar 2021 | 6,560 | 4.4 | $9.99–$59.99 | $20–50k |
Band: our researched estimate of peak monthly revenue, published only for apps we have researched one by one. Every app in the catalog sits above the $5k a month floor.
Two publishers at the top. Glority runs PictureThis, the largest app in the niche by far with 1,104,002 ratings at 10,096 a month since July 2017, and Plant Parent, launched April 2022, 89,577 ratings, $250k+ band. AIBY, a publisher with 28 apps in the catalog, runs Plantum, August 2019, 118,630 ratings, $250k+.
Then the one-app developers. Planta, from Planta AB, November 2018, 112,851 ratings, review pace at 2.2x its own earlier rate, an Editors' Choice, $50–250k. Plantiary, 27,692 ratings. Greg, 20,384, featured by Apple under Apps From Indie Developers. Ficus and ChatPlant with 6,981 and 4,628. All five at $50–250k, each from a developer with no other app in the catalog.
PlantIn holds 227,570 ratings, second only to PictureThis, at 0.5x its earlier pace and the $20–50k band. Blossom, from a 39-app publisher, holds 68,722 at $20–50k.
How they make money
Weekly with a trial, in six of the fourteen leaders: $4.99 to $9.99 from Plantiary, PlantIn, Blossom, Planty, Plant App and Ficus. PlantIn lists a weekly tier at $17.99.
Monthly at $5.99 to $9.99 from Plantum and Planta; Botan lists $14.99.
A year at $34.99 to $49.99. Planta $35.99 and $47.99, Plantiary $49.99, Plant App $34.99. Blossom prices the year at $59.99 to $79.99.
Lifetime at $49.99 to $59.99 from Plant Parent, PlantIn and Plant App. Family plans at $49.99 from PictureThis and Plant Parent.
The angles that get installs
- photo the leaf, keep it alive36 apps
- is the plant dying4 apps
- flag plants toxic to pets and children3 apps
- other growers answer your plant question2 apps
Thirty-six of 70 listings say photo the leaf, keep it alive. Four ask "is the plant dying." Four put a real botanist on the other end of the question. Three flag plants toxic to pets and children. Two rate the light in the spot you point the camera at. One promises unlimited free scans with no daily cap.
What the one star reviews keep saying
“I used this app for two years with limited functionality and that was all I needed. Now, can’t even use the app without subscribing. I’m some of the responses by the Dev, they say there’s still free options in the app. N”Plantum - AI Plant Identifier, 2026-07-25
“free trial” recurs in 11 of the top 12 apps“It says nothing about paying $50 when you instal it. Then after 2 plants they keep harassing you for buying a plan or they wont allow you to identify a 3rd plant. Removing them.”Plantum - AI Plant Identifier, 2026-05-11
“identify plant” recurs in 11 of the top 12 apps“This app has completely stopped supporting the free version and no forces you into an endless cycle of making you sign up for either the monthly or yearly membership. Super disappointing because I used to love using this”Plantum - AI Plant Identifier, 2026-06-27
“identify plants” recurs in 11 of the top 12 apps“When it comes to identifying plants, this app is not accurate at all, don’t waste your money on a subscription”Plantum - AI Plant Identifier, 2025-12-27
“waste money” recurs in 11 of the top 12 apps“I’ve been using the app for a couple years, rather infrequently. I’ve tried several times lately and up pops the screen trying to get me to take the premium version. When I close it, the app doesn’t to work. I looked at ”Plantum - AI Plant Identifier, 2026-07-19
“doesn't work” recurs in 11 of the top 12 apps“I used this app for two years with limited functionality and that was all I needed. Now, can’t even use the app without subscribing. I’m some of the responses by the Dev, they say there’s still free options in the app. N”Plantum - AI Plant Identifier, 2026-07-25
“day trial” recurs in 11 of the top 12 apps“People have to waste time trying to stop their ads that has 10 seconds of repeating content.”PictureThis - Plant Identifier, 2026-08-02
“waste time” recurs in 10 of the top 12 apps
Phrases that recur in one and two star reviews across 12 of the niche's top 12 apps.
Across twelve leaders with pooled reviews, three complaints.
The scan used to be free. "Free trial" 209 mentions in eleven apps, "day free" 28 in ten, "identify plant" 51 in eleven. The quotes describe two years of free identification, then a subscription sheet on the third plant. "Every time" runs 19 times through ten apps: the subscribe page opens on every action.
It got the plant wrong. "Waste money" 44 in eleven, "care plants" 19 in ten. Cloves identified as an Asian fruit. Care advice that killed the plants it was meant to save.
Billing. "Year subscription" 17 in ten, "different plants" 16 in ten, with charges after cancellation and double charges. PictureThis draws "waste time" 36 times in ten apps for repeating ten-second ads.
What works, from the five star side
"Love love" runs 45 times in twelve apps and the top quote lists the loop: identify, diagnose, care schedule, reminders, journal. "Super helpful" in ten apps, and its top quote is from a free-tier user who says the diagnosis is what stands above the others. "Best plant" in nine apps: worth the subscription. "Plants love" in nine, with the complaint inside the praise: paying extra to diagnose.
New in the last 18 months
- Plant Care Guide: PlantScopeAug 2025 · 2,924 ratings · $10–20k
- FloraSnap: Plant ScannerAug 2025 · 831 ratings · $5–10k
- Verde Finder : identify plantsMar 2025 · 556 ratings · $5–10k
- PlantDoc - AI Plant IdentifierMar 2025 · 483 ratings · $5–10k
- PlantAID:identifier&care guideFeb 2025 · 377 ratings · $10–20k
- PlantBuddy: Identifier & CareJan 2026 · 165 ratings · $5–10k
- Plant Finder - Plant ScannerApr 2025 · 131 ratings · $5–10k
- PlantFun: Plant ID & CareJul 2025 · 122 ratings · $5–10k
Eighteen entrants holding 4% of the pace. PlantScope, August 2025, leads them with 2,924 ratings at $10–20k and a review pace at 3.3x. PlantAID sits at $10–20k. None has passed 3,000 ratings. The leaders launched in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and keep the top of the chart.
Ads run steady. Plantum's video, "snap a photo and discover their secrets," has run 125 days and is live. Plantiary's, identify, detect diseases, care reminders, 103 days and live. Ficus ran "are your plants dying? fix it fast" in Arabic. Plant Parent ran its Spanish video for 357 days.
What to copy and what to avoid
From the price sheets and the pooled reviews above.
Copy: diagnosis and care as the paid product. The five star reviews name the diagnosis as the difference in ten apps, and the one star reviews in eleven are about identification moving behind the paywall.
Copy: the $34.99 to $49.99 year. Planta, Plantiary and Plant App list one, and Planta is the fastest-growing leader on it.
Copy: the one-app shape. Five developers with a single app sit in the $50–250k band under the two publishers.
Avoid: pulling the free scan. 209 mentions across eleven leaders, the loudest complaint in the niche.
Avoid: the subscribe sheet on every action. "Every time" runs through ten of twelve.
Our read: four listings put a real botanist behind the question and one promises unlimited free scans. Those are the two angles that answer the 209-mention complaint, and they are the least run.
Our read: toxicity flags run in three apps, and a five star quote in the biggest app is about keeping horses safe. The pet-owner reading of the same camera is a listing, not a feature.
FAQ
Is the plant identifier app market saturated?
No. 70 apps, two publishers at the top, and five developers with a single app each in the $50–250k band under them. Crowding reads 48. Planta, launched 2018, grows at 2.2x its own earlier pace; PlantScope, launched August 2025, at 3.3x.
Which plant identifier apps make the most money?
Plantum and Plant Parent sit in the $250k+ band as of August 2026. PictureThis leads on ratings with over a million. Planta, Plantiary, Greg, Ficus and ChatPlant sit at $50–250k, each from a one-app developer.
How do plant identifier apps make money?
A weekly plan with a trial at $4.99 to $9.99 in six of fourteen leaders, a month at $5.99 to $9.99 in two, a year at $34.99 to $79.99 in four, lifetime at $49.99 to $59.99 in three, and family plans at $49.99 in two.
What do users complain about in plant identifier apps?
A scan that used to be free and now needs a subscription, 209 mentions in eleven of twelve leaders. A subscribe page on every action, in ten. Wrong identifications and care advice, in ten. Charges after cancelling, in ten.
What should a new plant identifier app do differently?
Keep identification free and sell diagnosis and care: the five star reviews in ten apps name the diagnosis as the difference, and the one star reviews in eleven are about the free scan disappearing. Price the year at $34.99 to $49.99 like Planta. Put a person behind the hard question: four apps do and it is the least run angle in the niche.