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Diagnose a sick plant

Spot pests, diseases or watering problems from a photo.

Spot pests, diseases or watering problems from a photo. The tools below run on your computer. Most of them are free, and the work stays on your machine.

ScanChat

Works offline · Free options

This is a description of the photo, not a diagnosis from a lab. Check a local nursery for anything you might eat or treat.

Easiest way to start

LM Studio + Qwen2.5-VL 7B

A friendly desktop app with a model browser and a chat window.

Will it run on my computer?

Check my computer
Local or cloud?2 shown

Most tools here are free.

HONEST COMPARISON

Local AI or cloud for diagnose a sick plant?

Reviewed Oct 2026

  • Privacy: Local winsThe photo of the plant stays local
  • Cost: TiePlantix and a local model can both start free
  • Quality: Cloud winsDisease apps see more sick plants than a general model
  • Ease: Cloud winsThe phone is already in the garden

Local AI

A local vision model can describe a leaf. It is not a diagnosis.

  • The photo stays on your computer
  • Fine for a plain description of what you see

Where it falls short

  • It is not a lab test
  • Disease look-alikes are easy to get wrong
See local tools for this task ↓

Cloud & apps

Plant apps and a local nursery are the honest next step for a sick plant.

  • PPictureThisPlant appFreemiumPopular choice

    Disease suggestions and care reminders from a phone photo.

    Best for: Disease guessesCare

    Photos are uploaded

    Visit PictureThis (opens in new tab)Affiliate

    Affiliate link: we may earn a commission.

  • PPlantixPlant appFree

    Built for crop problems, with pictures of common diseases.

    Best for: CropsPests

    Photos are uploaded

    Visit Plantix (opens in new tab)

Our take

Use a plant app or a nursery for a sick plant. A local description is not a diagnosis, and do not eat or spray from it.

Choose local if…

  • You only want a description
  • The photo cannot be uploaded

Choose cloud if…

  • You want a disease guess
  • You can check with a nursery

Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes our verdicts. How we make money

How to do it in 3 steps

  1. Install LM Studio from its official guide: LM Studio's app guide.
  2. Open the Qwen2.5-VL 7B page and check the traffic light for a few kinds of computer.
  3. Follow that official guide. This site does not add its own install steps.

Questions

Does this upload my files?
No. The tools on this page are meant to run on your computer.
What does it cost?
Most options are free. A few apps are a one-time purchase, and a few models need a computer with more memory.
What if it will not fit?
Use Check my computer, or turn on the lighter memory filters. A red light on the model page means the file is too big.

Not into local AI? Try these instead

Ordinary apps for home & garden. The links use a placeholder referral code and may pay us.

  • GrowVeg

    A garden planner for beds, spacing, and planting dates.

    GrowVeg · #ad

  • Gardenize

    A garden journal for plants, photos, and what you did today.

    Gardenize · #ad

  • RHS

    Plant profiles and growing advice from the Royal Horticultural Society.

    RHS · #ad

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