The shortlist
4 things that do it.
An identifier app from Next Vision Limited: you take or upload a picture and the app suggests what the insect or spider is. The UK App Store title is Picture Insect: Spiders & Bugs.
- Free
- Free to download with in-app purchases, and the website says you can identify thousands of insects for free, but the free allowance is not stated.
- Paid
- from £4.99 per month (Month Premium, UK App Store)
- Best at
- A big-name app with spiders in its title, plus pest control tips and, on Premium, answers from entomologists.
- The catch
- The free allowance is not stated. The App Store text says 1000+ species and an accuracy rate of 95.28%, figures from the developer that we could not check, while its Premium panel says 4000+ species.
- ios
- android
A free-to-download nature app for families: you photograph a spider and it shows the suggested match with a name, scientific name, habitat and facts written for young readers.
- Free
- Snappit says it is free to download on iPhone and Android and you can identify spiders for free every day; an optional Snappit Full subscription adds unlimited snaps and custom adventures.
- Paid
- from $2.99 per month (Snappit Full, homepage)
- Best at
- Families and children: each identified spider becomes a collectible card, the app is rated 4+ and says it has no ads.
- The catch
- Its spider page shows American examples such as the American Nursery Web Spider, so it may suit UK finds less well; we did not verify its UK coverage. Its upgrade prices are listed in dollars, and no UK price is shown.
- ios
- android
A spider-only app that says its AI matches your photo against thousands of spider species and returns the species, a risk profile and habitat information.
- Free
- The site says the app is free to download on iOS and you can identify spiders immediately with the free tier; a premium subscription unlocks unlimited identifications.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- A single-purpose spider app, with a free tier and species profiles.
- The catch
- iPhone only on its site, no developer name or price on the page, and its download and rating figures are the developer's own claims.
- ios
A free, nonprofit, community-powered app and website: the app suggests an identification instantly and a global community of naturalists confirms or refines it.
- Free
- The homepage calls it free, nonprofit and community-powered.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Having people check the answer, on a service that covers animals generally.
- The catch
- Its homepage does not name spiders or arachnids, only animals, plants, fungi and other organisms. Your observation becomes open data.
- ios
- android
- web
How they compare
Which one suits you, and why.
If you want a well-known app with spiders in its name
Picture Insect: Spiders & Bugs has spiders in its UK App Store title. You take or upload a picture and its AI returns a result. On Premium you also get answers from entomologists. It is available on iPhone and Android.
The figures need care. The App Store text says 1000+ species and an accuracy rate of 95.28%, while the Premium panel says 4000+ species. These are the developer's numbers and we could not check them. The free allowance is not stated, so you cannot tell how far the free version goes before you try it.
If you want a free app for children
Snappit is free to download on iPhone and Android, and it says you can identify spiders for free every day. It is rated 4+ and says it has no ads and no chat. Each spider you identify becomes a collectible card with a name, scientific name, habitat and facts written for young readers.
Its spider page shows American examples, such as the American Nursery Web Spider and the California Flattened Jumping Spider, and it does not say how well it covers UK species. We did not verify its UK coverage. An optional Snappit Full subscription adds unlimited snaps and custom adventures. Its homepage lists it at $2.99 a month or $12.99 a year, in dollars, and shows no UK price.
If you want an app that only does spiders
Spider Identifier is a spider-only app. It says its AI matches your photo against thousands of spider species and returns the species, a risk profile and habitat information. The site says it is free to download on iOS and that you can identify spiders straight away on the free tier.
Its site mentions iPhone only, and it gives no developer name or price. Its download and rating figures are the developer's own claims. It lists the Brown Recluse and Black Widow among the species it recognises, and neither is a UK species, so check how well it handles what you find at home.
If you want people to check the answer
iNaturalist is a free, nonprofit, community-powered app and website. The app suggests an identification instantly, and a global community of naturalists confirms or refines it. It works on iOS, Android and the web.
Its homepage names animals, plants, fungi and other organisms but does not name spiders or arachnids, so try it yourself before you rely on it for a spider. Your observation also becomes open data.
When paying is worth it
Picture Insect shows UK prices. On the UK App Store, Month Premium is £4.99 and Yearly Premium is £29.99 with a 7 day trial. Quarter Premium at £14.99 and Month Pro at £9.99 are also listed. Premium adds unlimited identification and answers from entomologists. Snappit's homepage lists its optional Snappit Full upgrade at $2.99 a month or $12.99 a year, in dollars. Spider Identifier says a premium subscription unlocks unlimited identifications, but its price is not verified because the site does not state it.
What to watch for
The catches worth knowing first.
Picture Insect subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the period (UK App Store wording). If you start the trial, set a reminder.
Safety matters more. Snappit says an app identification should never be used to decide whether a spider is safe, and that if someone is bitten you should seek medical help immediately, whatever any app says. That applies to every app here.
The Natural History Museum says that of the 650 species of spider found in the UK, only about 12 have been recorded as able to bite people. Treat an app's answer as a suggestion.
The same shortlist, as a table
| Thing | Free tier | Paid from | Platforms | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture Insect: Spiders & Bugs | Free to download with in-app purchases, and the website says you can identify thousands of insects for free, but the free allowance is not stated. | £4.99 per month (Month Premium, UK App Store) | ios, android | The free allowance is not stated. The App Store text says 1000+ species and an accuracy rate of 95.28%, figures from the developer that we could not check, while its Premium panel says 4000+ species. |
| Snappit | Snappit says it is free to download on iPhone and Android and you can identify spiders for free every day; an optional Snappit Full subscription adds unlimited snaps and custom adventures. | $2.99 per month (Snappit Full, homepage) | ios, android | Its spider page shows American examples such as the American Nursery Web Spider, so it may suit UK finds less well; we did not verify its UK coverage. Its upgrade prices are listed in dollars, and no UK price is shown. |
| Spider Identifier | The site says the app is free to download on iOS and you can identify spiders immediately with the free tier; a premium subscription unlocks unlimited identifications. | not checked | ios | iPhone only on its site, no developer name or price on the page, and its download and rating figures are the developer's own claims. |
| iNaturalist | The homepage calls it free, nonprofit and community-powered. | not checked | ios, android, web | Its homepage does not name spiders or arachnids, only animals, plants, fungi and other organisms. Your observation becomes open data. |
How we checked
What we read, and what we haven't tested yet.
On 2026-10-09 we read the UK App Store listing and website for Picture Insect, Snappit's spider page, the Spider Identifier website, the iNaturalist homepage, and the Natural History Museum's identify nature and Spiders in your home pages. We left out Seek, which the iNaturalist homepage points under 13s to, because we did not check it. Nothing was tested hands-on.
If none of these fit
The manual way.
For a UK find, the Natural History Museum's Identification and Advisory Service answers questions about wildlife found in the UK. Email images with a detailed description, where and when you saw it, and its approximate size.
If your find is another kind of creature or plant, see Is there an app for identifying bugs and Is there an app that identifies plants on this site.