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Skinli vs SkinPal AI
Skinli and SkinPal AI both read a face photo. SkinPal AI is an app for iPhone and Android that turns a selfie into eight skin scores, one of them acne. Its App Store listing says the download includes one scan and that full access needs a subscription, and the US App Store lists plans from $2.99 a week to $39.99 a year. Skinli runs in any web browser, looks at acne only, is free right now, and needs no sign-up to see your plan. Pick Skinli for acne. Pick SkinPal AI for scores across your whole skin.
By Nick, Founder of Skinli. We make Skinli, so read this knowing that. Every fact about SkinPal AI links to where we found it.
For acne alone, Skinli is free with no sign-up. SkinPal AI scores more of your skin and charges after the first scan.
Pick Skinli if
- Acne is your main concern.
- You do not want to pay a weekly, monthly or yearly fee.
- You want a routine that names ingredients, not brands.
Pick SkinPal AI if
- You want scores for hydration, redness, texture and skin age as well as acne.
- You want to scan product labels with your camera.
- You prefer a phone app to a website.
Skinli and SkinPal AI side by side
| What we compared | Skinli | SkinPal AI |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A morning and night acne routine built on products sold without a prescription, with a plain reason for each step. | A selfie scan with eight readings: hydration, texture, tone, acne, redness, oiliness, skin type and skin age, according to its App Store listing. Premium adds a morning and evening routine and a label scanner. |
| Focus | Acne only: pimples, blackheads, marks and oil. | General skin. Acne is one of eight scores. |
| Who looks at your skin | An AI reads your photo and your answers. No doctor or nurse looks at it. If you save a photo, you and the Skinli site owner can see it. | The app's AI. No doctor. Its App Store listing says it is not a medical device. |
| Price | Free right now, and no sign-up to see your plan. Skinli plans to charge for its 4 week and 12 week plans later, and the price will be on the pricing page before it applies. | In-app purchases in the US App Store: weekly $2.99 to $6.99, monthly $7.99 to $12.99, yearly $35.99 to $39.99. |
| What is free | The full acne plan. | One skin scan and the last 7 days of history, according to its App Store listing. |
| Device | Any web browser. Nothing to install. | App for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. Install needed. Its website also has free browser tools. |
| Account | Not needed to see your plan. Needed only to save it or store daily photos. | Its privacy policy lists an email, or Google or Apple sign-in, when you create an account. Its terms say you must be 17 or older to create one. |
| Photo storage | Kept only if you sign in and choose to save your plan. If you save a photo, you and the Skinli site owner can see it. You can delete your saved data from your dashboard. | Its privacy policy says photos are stored on its servers while you have an account, deleted within 30 days after you delete it, and can be sent to outside AI providers. |
| Products | A shopping list of words to look for on the box, such as "adapalene 0.1%". No brands, no shop, no paid links. | Its App Store screenshots show a routine with named brand products marked "Recommended". |
| App Store rating | No app. Skinli runs in the browser. | 4.66 from 111 ratings in the US App Store on September 26, 2026. Google Play showed 4.7 from 610 reviews and 10K+ downloads. |
| Company | Skinli. | The App Store seller is Indra Poudel. The website and Google Play name Pypple Technology LLC. |
| How long it has existed | New. The site went live in September 2026. | In the US App Store since September 3, 2025, according to Apple's data. |
| When to see a doctor | If your photo shows deep, sore pimples, the plan says at the top to see a doctor. | Its App Store listing says to consult a qualified healthcare professional or dermatologist for medical advice. |
Is SkinPal AI free?
SkinPal AI is free to download. Its App Store listing says the download includes one skin scan and the last 7 days of history, and that unlimited scans, routines and the ingredient scanner need a Premium subscription. On September 26, 2026 the US App Store listed weekly plans from $2.99 to $6.99, monthly plans from $7.99 to $12.99, and yearly plans from $35.99 to $39.99.
SkinPal's own terms and its Google Play text describe different free trials, so read the purchase screen before you pay. Skinli is free right now, including the full acne plan, and you do not need to sign up to see it.
Which one is better for acne?
SkinPal AI scores eight things at once, from hydration to skin age, and acne is one of them. That suits someone who wants a general skin app.
Skinli looks at acne only. It counts pimples, blackheads and marks, gives an acne score out of 100, and writes a morning and night plan around benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%. Instead of brands, it gives you the words to look for on the box, so any drugstore brand works.
Where do your photos go?
SkinPal's privacy policy says app photos are stored on its servers with encryption while you have an account, and deleted within 30 days after you delete the account. It says parts of the app use large language models run by AI companies in the United States, that the photo is included when a visual check is needed, and that your data is not used to train those models. It also says its free web tools work in your browser and upload nothing.
Skinli sends your photo to its AI service to write your plan. It keeps the photo only if you sign in and choose to save your plan. If you save a photo, you and the Skinli site owner can see it, and you can delete your saved data from your dashboard.
What SkinPal AI looks like
Screenshots and logo from SkinPal AI's US App Store listing, where the seller is Indra Poudel. They belong to their owner and are shown only to identify the product.
See what Skinli gives you before you decide.
One photo and a few quick questions. Free, and no account needed to see your plan.
Analyze my skinHow Skinli works, and how far to trust a photo
Is Skinli cheaper than SkinPal AI?
Skinli
- Free right now
- No sign-up to see your plan
- Nothing to install
SkinPal AI
- Free download with one scan
- Weekly: $2.99 to $6.99
- Monthly: $7.99 to $12.99
- Yearly: $35.99 to $39.99
Skinli is cheaper for acne: it is free. SkinPal AI gives one free scan, and the US App Store lists several paid plans after that.
What 3 months costs
Lowest listed price for each option, checked September 25, 2026. Prescription services include their cream. Products you buy at a store are extra for every option. Hover or tap a bar to see how it was worked out.
- Skinli$0
- SkinPal AIfrom $23.97
- Skan$29.97
- AcneTrack$29.97
- Pimpl$38.97
- Thea$59.97
- Curology$65.35
- Hims & Hersfrom $87
- MDacne$87
- Musely$90
- Nurxfrom $118
Show as a table
| Option | 3 months | How we worked it out |
|---|---|---|
| Skinli | $0 | Free right now, with no sign-up to see your plan. You buy the drugstore products yourself, in any brand. |
| SkinPal AI | from $23.97 | The lowest monthly price in the US App Store list, $7.99, for 3 months. The app's own description lists $12.99 a month. |
| Skan | $29.97 | The $9.99 monthly plan for 3 months. A $19.99 yearly plan costs less if the app offers it to you. |
| AcneTrack | $29.97 | The $9.99 monthly plan for 3 months. Yearly plans start at $19.99. |
| Pimpl | $38.97 | The $12.99 monthly plan for 3 months. A $29.99 yearly discount costs less if the app offers it to you. |
| Thea | $59.97 | The $19.99 monthly plan for 3 months. The dermatologist upgrade costs extra. |
| Curology | $65.35 | $5.45 trial shipping, then one $59.90 shipment that covers the next 60 days. Includes the prescription cream. |
| Hims & Hers | from $87 | The "starting at $29 a month" price for 3 months. The visit and shipping are free. The exact price shows only after the online visit. |
| MDacne | $87 | $9 trial shipping in the US, then one $78 refill that covers the next 2 months, before tax. Includes MDacne's cleanser, moisturizer and night cream. |
| Musely | $90 | The listed $30 a month for 3 months. Includes the prescription cream. Musely ships 2 months of cream at a time. |
| Nurx | from $118 | $40 visit, the lowest listed cream at $25 a month for 3 months, and one $3 support fee, without insurance. |
Which one fits your situation?
You want an acne routine today, without installing anything
Pick: Skinli
Open the page in your browser and your plan appears in the same visit, with no sign-up.
You want to follow hydration, redness and skin age as well as acne
Pick: SkinPal AI
SkinPal AI gives eight scores. Skinli covers acne only.
You want to scan product labels in a store
Pick: SkinPal AI
SkinPal AI's Premium plan has a label scanner. Skinli gives you words to look for on the box.
You want a routine that names ingredients instead of brands
Pick: Skinli
Skinli's list names ingredients such as "adapalene 0.1%". SkinPal AI's App Store screenshots show a routine with named brand products.
Looking for a SkinPal AI alternative?
If you are looking for a SkinPal AI alternative for acne without a weekly or yearly payment, Skinli is free, runs in your browser and needs no sign-up to see your plan. It gives you an acne score, a morning and night routine, and a daily photo tracker.
Other skin apps we compare are Skan, Thea, AcneTrack and Pimpl. Each has its own page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does SkinPal AI cost?
SkinPal AI is free to download with one scan. On September 26, 2026, the US App Store listed weekly plans from $2.99 to $6.99, monthly plans from $7.99 to $12.99, and yearly plans from $35.99 to $39.99. Its own terms and Google Play text describe different trials, so check the purchase screen. Skinli is free right now.
Is Skinli a good SkinPal AI alternative for acne?
For acne alone, yes. Skinli looks only at acne, gives you a score out of 100, and writes a morning and night routine around benzoyl peroxide and adapalene. It is free, runs in your browser, and you do not need to sign up to see the plan. If you also want hydration, redness and skin age scores, SkinPal AI covers more.
Where does SkinPal AI keep my photos?
SkinPal's privacy policy says app photos are stored on its servers while you have an account and deleted within 30 days after you delete it. It says the photo can be processed by AI companies in the United States when a visual check is needed, and is not used to train their models. Read the full policy before you upload.
Who makes SkinPal AI?
The US App Store lists the seller as Indra Poudel. SkinPal's website and its Google Play page name Pypple Technology LLC. Apple's data shows the app in the App Store since September 3, 2025. Skinli is made by Skinli, and its founder, Nick, writes the guides and plans on the site. Skinli went live in September 2026.
What is SkinPal AI's App Store rating?
On September 26, 2026, Apple's own listing data showed SkinPal AI at an average of 4.66 out of 5 from 111 ratings in the US App Store. Google Play showed 4.7 from 610 reviews and more than 10,000 downloads. Skinli has no store rating, because it runs in the web browser and has no app.
Can SkinPal AI or Skinli diagnose acne?
No. Only a doctor can diagnose a skin condition. SkinPal AI's App Store listing says it is not a medical device and tells you to consult a healthcare professional or dermatologist for medical advice. Skinli says it is not a doctor on every plan, and puts a line at the top telling you to see one if your photo shows deep, sore pimples.
Sources
Checked on September 25, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check SkinPal AI's own site before you pay.
- SkinPal AI in the US App Store (prices, description, release history) (SkinPal AI's own site)
- Apple catalog data for SkinPal AI (rating, rating count, seller, release date) (independent source)
- SkinPal on Google Play (rating, downloads, developer) (SkinPal AI's own site)
- SkinPal privacy policy (photo storage) (SkinPal AI's own site)
- SkinPal terms (age, trials) (SkinPal AI's own site)
Get a routine built from your own photo.
One photo and a few quick questions. You do not need an account to see your routine.
Analyze my skinSkinli gives simple tips for skin with pimples. It is not a doctor. It cannot tell you what is wrong the way a doctor can. If your pimples hurt, are deep under the skin, are getting worse, or will not go away, see a doctor.