Best Skin Condition Identifier Apps to Identify a Rash or Skin Problem

The best skin condition identifier app depends on the question you're asking. Pori is first here because we make it, but it answers a different question: how your skin looks day to day. To look up what a rash might be, Aysa (free, about 200 conditions) and Skinive (CE-marked, moles plus common rashes) lead, Google Lens shows similar images, and teledermatology puts a dermatologist on your photo.

We make Pori, so we've put it first; here's what each app does well. Below is a comparison table, a closer look at each option, what the published accuracy studies show, and the warning signs that mean you should skip the apps and get seen in person. Prices and features come from each app's listing or official site as of October 2026.

Which skin condition identifier apps are worth using?

For naming a rash, Aysa and Skinive are the two dedicated apps with published accuracy data; for everything urgent or unclear, a clinician beats any app. Here's how the options compare:

How are identifier apps different from skin analyzers and mole checkers?

They answer three different questions, and picking the wrong type is the most common mistake.

• Cosmetic skin analyzers such as Pori score how your skin looks: hydration, texture, tone and visible aging. They help with routines and progress. Our AI skin analysis app comparison covers this group.
• Mole checkers such as SkinVision look at one spot and estimate skin cancer risk. See our mole checker roundup.
• Condition identifiers such as Aysa and Skinive try to name a rash, bump or patch from a photo, and sometimes your symptoms. They give possibilities, not diagnoses.

The options, one by one

1. Pori: for everyday skin, not for rashes

Pori is an iPhone app (iOS 17+) that reads a selfie in about 10 seconds and returns a 0–100 skin score with breakdowns for Hydration & Moisture, Pores & Texture, Pigmentation & Tone, Anti-aging & Elasticity and Overall health, plus a skin-age estimate. It builds a morning and evening routine, and its Pro ingredient scanner flags each ingredient in a product as beneficial, use with caution or avoid for your skin type. A skin diary, before-and-after comparison and progress charts help you see whether a routine is working.

Where others are stronger: Pori is not a medical device. It doesn't identify rashes, diagnose conditions or check moles, and it's iPhone-only. If your question is "what is this rash?", use one of the options below or a clinician.

2. Aysa: the free, evidence-backed rash lookup

Aysa comes from VisualDx, a clinical decision support company, and draws on a library of more than 120,000 medical images to cover 200 skin conditions. You photograph the area, answer symptom questions, and get a ranked list of matches with photos and background reading. It's free on iPhone and iPad (iOS 16+) and Android, rated 4.6 from 392 ratings on the US App Store, and contains ads.

In a 2024 study of 700 patients, Aysa ranked the correct condition first 71% of the time and listed it among its eight suggestions 95.1% of the time. It was strong on infections, infestations and acne, and weak on skin cancer, ranking malignant tumors first just 10% of the time. Read our full Aysa review.

Where it's strong: free, a real clinical image library, and the best independent evidence in this list. Watch out for: read the whole list, not just the top result, and don't use it for moles.

3. Skinive: the broadest scope

Skinive checks moles and a wide range of common conditions, including acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, herpes and fungal infections, and gives risk information for some suspected skin cancers. It is CE-marked as Class I medical device software in the EU, tracks moles over time, and on Premium exports PDF reports for a dermatologist. Basic checks are free; US Premium is $4.49 a week, $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

Skinive's internal 2026 validation reports 97.4% sensitivity, but its clinical evidence page labels that technical validation, not clinical evidence. In an independent evaluation of 160 cases, its top suggestion agreed with clinicians 54.4% of the time. Its FAQ says it is available worldwide except the US and Canada, though a US App Store listing exists, and that US listing says the app does not diagnose rashes and is not a skin cancer detector. More in our Skinive review.

Where it's strong: widest condition coverage and a regulated status in the EU. Watch out for: Class I is self-certified, and the best numbers are company-reported.

4. Google Lens skin search: quick visual matches

Google Lens can search for "skin conditions that are visually similar to what you see on your skin," according to Google's health products page. Take or upload a photo and Lens shows matching images to start a search. Google states that the feature "does not constitute a medical analysis of the image" and that results "are informational only and not a diagnosis."

Google's dedicated tool, DermAssist, which Google announced in 2021 as a CE-marked Class I device covering 288 conditions, is no longer in development, per the same health page. Lens is an image search, not its replacement.

Where it's strong: free and fast. Watch out for: it matches pictures from the web, with no symptom questions and no published accuracy for this use.

5. SkinVision: moles only, outside North America

SkinVision assesses a single mole or spot for skin cancer risk. It holds a higher EU class than Skinive, Class IIa under the EU Medical Device Regulation, costs $5.99 per check or $44.99 a year, and is not intended for users in the US or Canada or anyone under 18. A 2020 BMJ review found 80% sensitivity and 78% specificity for SkinVision across two studies and concluded that current apps "cannot be relied on to detect all cases of melanoma or other skin cancers." It doesn't identify rashes.

6. Teledermatology: a dermatologist, remotely

If you want a person, not an algorithm, a teledermatology service lets a dermatologist review your photos and history, often without a video call. A 2023 meta-analysis of 44 studies found that when dermatologists made both the remote and in-person diagnosis, they agreed about 71% of the time, compared with 44% for non-specialists. The authors judge that agreement acceptable when patients get guidance on taking photos and high-quality imaging is used. Before you pay, check whether a board-certified dermatologist reviews your case and whether your insurance covers the visit.

How accurate are skin condition identifier apps?

Good enough to narrow a list, not good enough to trust alone. The published numbers follow a pattern: apps do better at including the right answer somewhere in a list than at naming it first, and they do worst on skin cancer, the condition that matters most to catch.

• Aysa's top suggestion was right 71% of the time in a clinic study, but only 10% of the time for malignant tumors, where it often labeled basal cell carcinoma as melanoma (JMIR Dermatology, 2024).
• Skinive's independent evaluation found 54.4% top-1 and 70.6% top-3 agreement in a group enriched for cancer cases (Skinive).
• A 2026 review notes that a CE mark "certifies regulatory conformity with safety and performance standards, not clinical effectiveness," and that among the US consumer platforms the authors reviewed, only MoleScope held FDA clearance (Int J Dermatol).

Most studies use photos taken in clinics and cover limited skin tones. The Aysa study included only Fitzpatrick types III to V. For more on this gap, see whether AI skin analysis works on darker skin tones.

When should you see a doctor in person instead of using an app?

Go in person, or call for urgent help, when a rash shows any of the warning signs the American Academy of Dermatology lists in its rash guide: it covers most of your body, blisters or turns into open sores, comes with fever or illness, spreads rapidly, is painful, or involves the eyes, lips, mouth or genital skin. Signs of infection, such as pus, yellow or golden crusts, swelling, warmth or a bad smell, also need care.

• Call emergency services for trouble breathing or swallowing, or swelling of the lips or eyes.
• Get same-day care for a shingles rash on the face, which the AAD calls a medical emergency because it can affect eyesight; antiviral medicine works best when taken within 3 days of the rash.
• Get emergency help for a rash that doesn't fade when you press a clear glass on it, especially with fever, headache or a stiff neck, which the NHS lists as a meningitis warning sign. It can be harder to see on brown or black skin, so check paler areas such as the palms and soles.
• Book a dermatologist for any mole or spot that is new, changing, itching or bleeding, and for a rash that isn't improving.

How do you get a more useful answer from any of these?

1. Take more than one photo. Google's DermAssist design asked for three images from different angles, a sensible habit for any app.
2. Use daylight and keep the camera close, steady and parallel to the skin.
3. Note what a photo can't show: when it started, whether it itches or hurts, new products, medicines or travel.
4. Read every suggestion, then bring the list and your notes to a clinician.

Methodology and disclosure

This comparison is published by the team behind Pori. Pori doesn't compete with the identifier apps on medical features, and we've said where each one is stronger. Features, prices and regulatory status come from each app's US App Store listing or official site, as linked, checked in October 2026; accuracy figures come from the studies linked above. We did not test these apps hands-on, and nothing here is medical advice.