App Showcase: Planty

What it does

Planty is a comprehensive plant care assistant designed for both new and experienced plant owners. The app's core functions include identifying plants from a photo, diagnosing diseases or nutrient deficiencies, and creating personalized care plans. It provides detailed information on watering, light, soil, and toxicity, and sets up smart reminders to help users stay on top of their plant care routines.

Where it shines

Planty excels at demonstrating its value immediately. The onboarding kicks off with an animated demo (00:13) that walks through identifying a sick plant, diagnosing its problem, and suggesting a cure. This 'show, don't tell' approach is far more compelling than a static feature list. The app also adds delightful, conversational touches, like a friendly message that appears after answering a quiz question (00:51), making the setup process feel personal. The light meter tool (08:02) is another standout, providing an immersive and practical way to find the perfect spot for a plant.

UX highlights

• Immediate Value Demo: An animated walkthrough (00:13) of the app’s main feature is shown before any sign-up, building instant user confidence.
• Conversational Onboarding: The quiz uses reinforcement messages (00:51) to make the experience feel like a friendly chat, not a form.
• Staged Permission Requests: A custom screen with toggles (01:18) provides context and user control before triggering native OS permission prompts.
• Interactive Number Picker: The custom vertical slider for selecting the number of plants (00:49) is a playful and unique UI element.
• Clear Action Hierarchy: On plant detail screens, a prominent 'Add to my garden' button is clearly distinguished from the secondary 'Get Plant Info' option (04:13).
• Celebratory Confirmations: Adding a plant to the garden is confirmed with a satisfying screen and a cascade of falling leaves (03:27), reinforcing the positive action.

Monetization & growth

Planty uses a free trial model with a soft paywall presented at the end of its initial onboarding quiz (01:25). The paywall is well-designed, featuring social proof through scrolling user testimonials and a clear 4.7-star rating at the top. It presents three subscription plans, highlighting the weekly option as 'Popular' and showing a significant discount on the annual plan to anchor the price. The purchase process itself uses the standard, trusted App Store UI to complete the subscription.

Who it’s for

This app is ideal for new plant owners who feel overwhelmed and need guidance, as well as experienced hobbyists looking for a tool to organize care for multiple plants. The diagnostic features suggest it's particularly useful for anyone trying to revive a struggling plant. The simple interface and friendly mascot make it accessible to a broad, non-technical audience who want a supportive and easy-to-use plant care companion.

Notes & opportunities

While the onboarding is strong, it front-loads several friction points, including sign-up and three separate permission requests, all before the user can interact with the app freely. Pushing some of these requests until they are contextually needed might improve initial completion rates. Additionally, after adding a plant, the app presents a health check-up screen (02:58) that could be confusing, as the user hasn't provided a photo of their actual plant yet. Clarifying this step could reduce potential user confusion.