Report updated May 25, 2026

APD Colony Counter App PRO is an established productivity app that is a paid app. With a 1.0/5 rating from 2 reviews, it shows polarized user reception.

What is APD Colony Counter App PRO?

APD Colony Counter App PRO is a productivity tool for iOS that uses image processing to count colonies on agar plates.

Researchers hire this app to automate repetitive manual counting tasks and avoid the high cost of laboratory equipment, so the app must maintain high detection accuracy to justify its utility.

Current Momentum

v1.0 · 91mo ago

Zombie
  • No updates since 2018 release.

Active Nemesis

AI Lab

AI Lab

By Swift Management AG

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Accelerometer ∞
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7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Productivity

No ranking data

ProductivityGrossing

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

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What Are The Key Features?

Automated Colony DetectionDifferentiator

Image processing algorithm identifies and counts colonies on agar plates from camera or local storage inputs

Image Processing FiltersStandard

Adjustable thresholding and cropping tools for image preparation prior to analysis

Custom TaggingStandard

Manual edit function to add or remove tags with adjustable color and size settings

Offline AnalysisDifferentiator

Self-contained processing engine requiring no internet connection for image analysis

How much does it cost?

Paid
  • One-time purchase at $2.99

Paid model at $2.99 price point positions the app as a low-cost alternative to specialized laboratory equipment.

Who Built It?

Productivity

Enrichment in progress

Publisher profile available very soon

What other apps does Samuel Gan make?

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APD Colony Counter App Lite

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What is the competitive landscape for APD Colony Counter App PRO?

Where is it available?

Localized markets (1)

United States

How's The Productivity Market?

How does it evolve in the Productivity market?

The app holds a #92 Paid rank in the AU Productivity category, but the 1-star rating across 2 reviews signals that the current market position is failing to convert users.

Rank progression

1 active ranking tracked — 30-day window

No rank history available for this chart.

The rivals identified

Nemeses(1)

AI Lab icon

Swift Management AG

3.3(3)

AI Lab competes directly by offering on-device image classification and model libraries, targeting the same scientific and research-oriented user base that requires automated image analysis.

Differentiators

  • Offers a downloadable model library, allowing users to expand detection capabilities beyond initial app installation.
  • Includes social sharing features that facilitate collaborative research and data dissemination among laboratory peers.
  • Leverages on-device image classification, providing a more modern technical foundation than the target's legacy processing.

Head to head

The target app must modernize its image processing engine and introduce community-driven features to prevent users from migrating to more versatile AI-based platforms.

Contenders(1)

NeoSpectra Scan App icon

Si-Ware Systems

1.0(1)

This app competes for the same professional scientific audience by providing hardware-integrated scanning and property prediction tools for laboratory samples.

Same space(4)

It functions as a general-purpose laboratory utility, overlapping with the target app's goal of simplifying complex scientific measurements.

Differentiators

  • Implements a slider-controlled interface for SI-prefixes, offering a unique UX for rapid unit adjustments.
  • Provides a dedicated molecular weight unit toggle, simplifying common tasks for chemistry and biology researchers.
NEB Tools icon

New England Biolabs Inc

3.9(8)

As a comprehensive suite for molecular biology, it captures the same research audience by providing essential reference and calculation tools.

This app targets the same technical user base by providing specialized calculation tools for optical and sensor-based laboratory equipment.

Differentiators

  • Provides precise sensor model selection, catering to users who require hardware-specific calibration data.
  • Maintains active development cycles, ensuring the app remains functional and relevant for modern scientific workflows.

It serves the same niche of laboratory professionals and students who require quick, automated calculations for their daily scientific workflows.

Differentiators

  • Utilizes an open-source codebase, fostering trust and transparency within the scientific and academic communities.
  • Features a highly efficient chemical formula parser that delivers instant results for complex molecular calculations.

Compare APD Colony Counter App PRO against every rival

All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.

Go deeper

The outtake for APD Colony Counter App PRO

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Offline-first processing engine enables field use without internet connectivity
  • Specialized focus on colony counting provides a streamlined workflow for microbiologists

Critical Frictions

  • 1.0-star rating baseline indicates severe usability or technical failures
  • No updates since 2018 release date
  • $2.99 price point lacks perceived value without active maintenance

Growth Levers

  • Implement community-driven features to increase engagement
  • Modernize image processing engine to compete with AI-based classification tools

Market Threats

  • AI Lab’s frequent updates and modern architecture erode the target app’s relevance
  • Lack of platform compatibility updates risks removal from the App Store

What are the next best moves?

highPivot

Audit image processing engine because the 1-star rating suggests core functionality failure → improve user retention

The 1-star rating baseline indicates the primary value proposition is not meeting user expectations.

Trade-off: Pause all marketing spend — the product is not ready for acquisition.

A counter-intuitive read

The app's lack of internet connectivity is a feature, not a bug, as it allows for secure, offline analysis in laboratory environments where data privacy is paramount.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Downloadable model library (available in AI Lab)
  • Social sharing features (available in AI Lab)

Key Takeaways

The app provides a useful niche utility but is effectively in maintenance mode, so the PM must prioritize a technical audit to address the 1-star rating before attempting to compete with modern AI alternatives.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

The scientific productivity market is shifting toward AI-integrated tools that offer broader classification capabilities, leaving single-purpose apps like this one exposed. Without a major technical refresh to address the 1-star rating, the app will likely be removed from the store or rendered obsolete by more versatile competitors.

The app has not received an update since 2018, which creates significant compatibility risks with modern iOS versions and erodes user trust.

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by APD Colony Counter App PRO, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The product remains in a zombie state with no functional updates, but the intelligence report now more clearly links the lack of maintenance to specific threats like App Store removal and poor price-to-value perception.

added

Price-to-Value Weakness

added

Platform Compatibility Threat

shifted

Market Position Narrative

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “APD Colony Counter App PRO Intelligence Report.” Updated May 25, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/apd-colony-counter-app-pro

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