Skin apps ยท Facts checked September 24, 2026
Skinli vs Thea
Skinli and Thea both scan your face and suggest what to put on it. Thea is an iPhone app that scans your face, matches you with a skin expert you can message, rates products for you, and lets you upgrade to a board-certified dermatologist, with plans of $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year in the US App Store. Skinli runs in any browser, focuses on acne only, and is free right now. Pick Skinli for a free acne routine with no install. Pick Thea if you want a general skincare app and a path to a dermatologist in the same place.
By Nick, Founder of Skinli. We make Skinli, so read this knowing that. Every fact about Thea links to where we found it.
Skinli is free and built for acne. Thea covers all of skincare and costs $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
Pick Skinli if
- Acne is your main concern.
- You use Android, or you do not want to install an app.
- You want a free plan with no subscription.
Pick Thea if
- You want scores for your whole skin, beyond acne.
- You want product match scores for things you already own.
- You want to move to a dermatologist inside the same app.
Skinli and Thea side by side
| What we compared | Skinli | Thea |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A morning and night acne routine built on products sold without a prescription, with a plain reason for each step. | A face scan with skin scores, a skin report, product match scores and a treatment plan. |
| Focus | Acne only. | General skincare, with scores that include blemishes and hydration. |
| Who looks at your skin | An AI reads your photo and your answers. No doctor or nurse looks at it. | A Thea skin expert you message, helped by the app's AI. Thea's site says you can upgrade to a board-certified dermatologist. |
| Price | Free right now. 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: $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year. |
| Device | Any web browser. Nothing to install. | iPhone app. We did not find an Android version on Google Play. |
| Products | A shopping list of words to look for on the box, such as "adapalene 0.1%". No brands, no shop, no paid links. | Match scores for products, including prescription and over-the-counter products, according to Thea's site. |
| Photo storage | Kept only if you sign in and choose to save your plan. You can delete it from your dashboard. | Thea's privacy policy says photos are stored so you can review progress, are not shared with third parties, and are removed when you delete your account or ask. |
| Progress tracking | One photo a day on the progress page, with an optional daily reminder email. | Progress check-ins in the app. |
| Prescription medicine | No. | Possible through the dermatologist upgrade. We did not find its price. |
| App Store rating | No app. Skinli runs in the browser. | 4.82 from 16,206 ratings in the US App Store on September 25, 2026. |
| Company | Skinli. | Thea Technology Inc., New York. |
| When to see a doctor | If your photo shows deep, sore pimples, the plan says at the top to see a doctor. | Thea offers a paid route to a dermatologist inside the app. |
How much does Thea cost compared with Skinli?
The US App Store lists two Thea plans: $19.99 a month and $99.99 a year, one of them with a trial. Three months on the monthly plan cost $59.97. We could not find what Thea charges for its dermatologist upgrade.
Skinli is free right now. You buy the products on your shopping list yourself, in any brand.
Is Thea or Skinli better for acne?
Thea is a general skincare app. A skin expert reviews your face scan and routine, sends product picks with match scores and answers your messages. It suits someone who wants help with all of their skincare.
Skinli looks only at acne. It counts pimples, blackheads and marks, gives an acne score out of 100, and writes a plan around the two gels doctors pick first. It explains how to start them slowly and what weeks 2 to 4 usually look like.
Can you use Thea on Android?
Thea is in the US App Store for iPhone. On September 25, 2026 we did not find a Thea app on Google Play.
Skinli works on any phone or computer with a web browser, including Android phones, with nothing to install.
What Thea looks like
Screenshots and logo from Thea's US App Store listing. They belong to Thea Technology Inc. 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 skinIs Skinli cheaper than Thea?
Skinli
- Free right now
- Any phone or computer
- No account to see your plan
Thea
- $19.99 a month
- $99.99 a year
- Dermatologist upgrade: price not found
Skinli is cheaper: it is free. Thea costs $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year and covers more than acne.
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
- Skan$29.97
- AcneTrack$29.97
- Thea$59.97
- Curology$65.35
- Musely$90
- Nurxfrom $118
Show as a table
| Option | 3 months | How we worked it out |
|---|---|---|
| Skinli | $0 | Free right now. You buy the drugstore products yourself, in any brand. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 have an Android phone and want an acne plan
Pick: Skinli
Skinli runs in any browser. We found Thea for iPhone only.
You want help with dryness, fine lines and acne together
Pick: Thea
Thea covers general skincare. Skinli covers acne only.
You want a free acne routine tonight
Pick: Skinli
Your plan appears in the same visit, with no account and no card.
You want to go from an app scan to a dermatologist in one place
Pick: Thea
Thea's site offers an upgrade to a board-certified dermatologist in the app.
Looking for a Thea alternative?
If you are looking for a Thea alternative for acne without a $19.99 monthly plan, Skinli is free and runs in your browser on iPhone, Android or a computer.
Other skin apps we compare are Skan and AcneTrack. Each has its own page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Thea skincare app cost?
On September 25, 2026, the US App Store listed two Thea plans: $19.99 a month and $99.99 a year. One version of the yearly plan includes a trial. Thea also offers an upgrade to a board-certified dermatologist, and we could not find its price. Skinli is free right now.
Is there a free alternative to Thea for acne?
Skinli is free right now and made for acne. It reads one face photo and a few answers, gives you an acne score out of 100, and writes a morning and night routine. It runs in your browser, so it works on Android and iPhone without an install, and you do not need an account to see your plan.
Does Thea have an Android app?
On September 25, 2026 we found Thea in the US App Store for iPhone and did not find it on Google Play. If you use Android and want help with acne, Skinli works in any web browser, so there is nothing to install.
What does Thea do with my photos?
Thea's privacy policy says it stores each photo with details about it so you can review your progress over time and get product recommendations. It says this data is not shared with third parties and is removed when you delete your account or ask. Skinli keeps your photo only if you sign in and choose to save your plan.
Can Thea connect me with a dermatologist?
Thea's website says you can start with its AI and upgrade to a board-certified dermatologist inside the app, who reviews your routine and skin concerns. We could not find the price. Skinli has no doctor, and tells you at the top of your plan when your acne needs one.
What is Thea's App Store rating?
On September 25, 2026, Apple's own listing data showed Thea at an average of 4.82 out of 5 from 16,206 ratings in the US App Store. Skinli has no App Store rating, because it runs in the web browser and has no app to install.
Sources
Checked on September 24, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Thea's own site before you pay.
- Thea in the US App Store (prices) (Thea's own site)
- Apple catalog data for Thea (rating and rating count) (independent source)
- Thea website (dermatologist upgrade, product scores) (Thea's own site)
- Thea privacy policy (photo storage) (Thea'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.