Most people searching for PictureThis alternatives want one of two things: a plant identified without a subscription screen in the way, or a better home for plants they already know. Those jobs have different answers, so this list is sorted by job. The quick version: for a free ID, use PlantNet or the tool already on your iPhone. For care schedules, use Planta or Greg. For a long-term record of a succulent collection, use Succulent, which is ours.
PictureThis itself is very good at its main job. It has about 1.12 million US ratings at 4.8 stars, and its listing claims 400,000+ species, disease diagnosis, toxic plant warnings, care reminders and a light meter. If you just want the strongest all-in-one identifier and the subscription suits you, you may not need to switch. For a head-to-head with our own app, read Succulent vs PictureThis.
Why people look for a PictureThis alternative
The paywall. The app is free to download, but PictureThis Premium is an auto-renewing subscription. Its FAQ describes rationed free IDs on Android: at least 4 a day if you share the app or play Feeling Lucky. Check the price on the purchase screen, and if you start a trial, note the end date: the listing says auto-renew must be turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends.
The network requirement. Its FAQ says identification needs a connection. Photos taken offline are saved and identified once you are back online.
The wrong shape of tool. An identifier answers "what is this?" once. If you already know your plant is a Haworthia, the question that remains is how it has changed since spring, and identification does not help with that.
1. Succulent — best for keeping a record once you know the plant
Let's be clear about the fit first: Succulent does not identify plants. If you have an unknown plant in your hand, go to number 2. It is first here for the people who searched this page because PictureThis became the place their collection lives, and who keep succulents and cacti.
Succulent is a photo journal for those plants. Each one gets its own profile and growth timeline. Version 6.18 added video records of up to 60 seconds and Live Photos, so a leaf unfolding can sit in the same record as your watering notes. A care calendar shows what you watered and repotted, and when. Your photos and records stay on your device, with no account required.
It is narrow on purpose: no ID, no disease diagnosis, no light meter and no community. The free tier covers 3 plants with 10 records each. Premium removes those limits, as a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.
2. PlantNet — best for a free ID with no subscription
PlantNet (written Pl@ntNet) is the closest thing to a straight swap for the identifying half of PictureThis. It is a citizen science project: your observations feed plant biodiversity research, and the project asks for donations to keep it open and free to everyone. It holds 4.59 stars from about 7,000 US ratings.
The limit is what it was built for. Its listing says wild plants are the main purpose, and that many cultivated plants can be identified but that this is not the priority. It lists cacti, yet a named garden hybrid is a harder test than a wildflower. Its listing also says flowers, fruits and leaves give better results than a photo of the whole plant, so take more than one shot.
3. Visual Look Up on iPhone — best when you don't want another app
If you only identify a plant now and then, you may not need an app. On iOS 15 or later, open the photo in Photos. If the Info button shows stars, tap it, then tap Look Up. Apple's guide says the results come from Siri Knowledge and the web.
It is free and already installed, and it works on photos you took years ago. It gives you an answer and little else: no care plan, no reminders, no diagnosis. Apple also says it is not available in every region or language.
4. Google Lens — best for a free second opinion
Google Lens is built into the free Google app and searches the web from your photo. That makes it a useful check when an app gives you a confident name and you want to compare it with other pictures. It is a general visual search rather than a plant tool, so you judge the matches yourself and nothing about your plant is saved as a care record.
5. Planta — best for a full care schedule
Planta is the choice if the reminders were the part of PictureThis you used most. It holds 4.75 stars from about 114,000 US ratings. It identifies plants too, but the core is the schedule: watering, fertilizing, repotting, pruning and misting, with reminders that adapt to your home, local weather and plant type. It also has a light meter and Dr. Planta for diagnosing problems. Paid plans run on subscription. We cover the reasons people leave it in our Planta alternatives guide.
6. Greg — best for watering advice and a community
Greg holds 4.59 stars from about 20,700 US ratings. Its listing says scanning a plant is free: it identifies the species and works out how much water it needs. The other half is the community, where other plant owners can answer a question about a specific leaf. Paid features come with a 7-day trial and an auto-renewing subscription. See our Greg alternatives guide if a succulent collection is what you are planning for, and our Blossom alternatives guide if you were also weighing Blossom.
How the PictureThis alternatives compare
| PictureThis | Succulent (ours) | PlantNet | Visual Look Up | Google Lens | Planta | Greg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifies plants | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes, via visual search | Yes | Yes |
| Care reminders | Yes | Quiet care calendar | — | No | No | Adaptive | Yes |
| Diagnosis | Yes | No | — | No | No | Dr. Planta | Community answers |
| Growth record | Plant collection | Photo + video timeline | — | No | No | Plant journal | — |
| How it charges | Subscription | Free for 3 plants; subscription or lifetime | Free | Built in | Free | Subscription | Free scan; subscription |
A dash means we could not confirm it from the app's own listing or site, not that the feature is missing.
Which one should you choose?
Start with the question you are trying to answer. For "what is this plant?", try Visual Look Up first because it is already there, then PlantNet for a dedicated free tool, with Google Lens as a second opinion. For "when do I water it?", choose Planta or Greg. For "how has it changed?", and if your shelf is mostly succulents, choose Succulent. Plenty of people will end up with one identifier and one journal, and those two jobs don't conflict.
PictureThis alternatives FAQ
What is the best free PictureThis alternative?
For identifying a plant, PlantNet is the best free app: it is a citizen science project that asks for donations to keep it open and free to everyone. If you would rather install nothing, Visual Look Up in the iPhone Photos app is already on your phone, and Google Lens is free inside the Google app.
Can an iPhone identify plants without an app?
Yes. On iOS 15 or later, open a plant photo in the Photos app. If the Info button shows stars, tap it, then tap Look Up to see results from Siri Knowledge and the web. Apple notes the feature is not available in every region or language, and it only appears when the iPhone recognises something in the photo.
Which PictureThis alternative is best for succulents and cacti?
It depends on the job. PlantNet lists cacti among the plants it covers, but its listing says wild plants are its main purpose, so a named garden hybrid may come back as a species guess. Once you know what you own, Succulent by ElevenApril is the one built for these plants: a photo and video record per plant and a quiet care calendar. It does not identify plants.
Does PictureThis work without a subscription?
You can download it free, but PictureThis Premium is an auto-renewing subscription. Its own FAQ describes rationed free IDs on Android: at least 4 a day if you share the app or play Feeling Lucky. It does not publish a price there, so check the amount on the purchase screen before you start a trial.
Know the plant? Keep its story
Photos, 60-second videos and a quiet care calendar for your succulents and cacti, kept on your device.
Download Succulent on the App StoreRelated: The Best Planta Alternatives and Succulent vs PictureThis. Questions? Email us.
