Verdict
PictureThis came top of Michigan State University's 2025 test, naming 76% of plants correctly against 54% for ChatGPT and less for Google Lens. It is the biggest plant app in the UK store with 167,474 ratings. The catch is billing, since the free version is hard to find past the trial screens and the 7-day trial turns into £34.99 a year, the top UK complaint.
Privacy note. Vague retention, ad-network tracking, data hosted in the US, no AI-training statement (picturethisai.com privacy policy, Feb 2025)
Best for
Gardeners naming garden-centre plants and weeds
Skip if
Anyone who wants a free plant ID app with no subscription prompts
Key facts
- Category
- Home, family & everyday life
- Made by
- Glority Global Group Ltd.
- Based in
- Hong Kong
- Launched
- 2017
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £2.92 a month
- Free plan
- Limited free identifications with persistent prompts to start a 7-day trial of Premium (MSU Extension tested the free version)
What it does
- identifies plants, flowers and weeds from a photo
- diagnoses plant diseases and suggests treatment
- sends watering and care reminders
- warns when a plant is toxic to pets or children
- measures how much light a plant gets
Ratings
What people say
Gardeners in user reviews say it identifies common garden plants fairly well but struggles with cacti and specialist plants, and they distrust its care advice. App Store reviews quoted by AppTail are dominated by complaints about trials turning into £34.99 charges. Store stars (4.74) are far kinder than user reviews or the billing reviews, and Trustpilot has only 4 reviews.
“I actually think that’s one of the better apps for general garden plants.”
Individual user review, 17 January 2026 · source
“The only thing I use this app for is photo identification, works fairly often but I don’t follow any care advice.”
Individual user review, 6 April 2026 · source
“It keeps telling me that my trichos are myrtillos…”
Individual user review, 1 September 2026 · source
“Yeah they have a hard time with specific cacti better used on leafy green plants and even then can be a issue”
Individual user review, 1 September 2026 · source
Press reviews
- Michigan State University Extension 2026-05-04
Top of the fall 2025 student test at 76% correct (88% counting partial), ahead of ChatGPT, Google Lens, Gemini, Copilot and Seek; the app is 'quite persistent in advertising the paid version'.
- AI Plant Hub 2026-04-18
234-photo test: PictureThis 78% top-1 against PlantNet 68%, Plantum 62% and Google Lens 58%, but overconfident and weaker than PlantNet on weeds and wild plants.
- Which? Gardening 2026-08-10
Included in Which?'s summer 2025 test of plant ID apps; scores are for members only and were not read.
Privacy
- Opt-out
- No training opt-out described; users can object to legitimate-interest processing and request deletion by emailing support@picturethisai.com; ad cookies via a cookie tool
- Retention
- 'as long as it is necessary and relevant for our business', no fixed period
- Age limit
- Not for under-16s (privacy policy)
Official videos
FAQ
Is PictureThis free?
Partly. There is a limited free version, but the app pushes a 7-day trial that becomes £34.99 a year unless cancelled in the phone's subscription settings at least 24 hours before it ends.
How accurate is PictureThis?
Michigan State University students found it right 76% of the time in 2025, the best of the apps and chatbots tested. It struggles with grasses, seedlings, evergreens and cacti.
How do I cancel PictureThis?
Through the App Store or Google Play subscription settings. Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription.
PictureThis or PlantNet?
PictureThis is more accurate on common garden and house plants in recent tests, while PlantNet is free with no in-app purchases and does better on wild plants and weeds (AI Plant Hub).
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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