Mold Scanner vs My Mold Detective
Mold Scanner is an AI-assisted visual screening tool with 266 guided photo prompts across 19 rooms. Quick uses 38 prompts and Standard uses 129. Its local report can show submitted photos, visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps; processing time varies. My Mold Detective is a DIY air-sampling kit that runs about $179, plus roughly $39 per sample sent to a lab, with results back in days.
The short version
These two tools answer different questions. My Mold Detective collects an air sample and sends it to a lab that counts spore types, which takes days and costs a kit price plus a per-sample fee. Mold Scanner screens what a camera can see and returns a local visual screening report; processing time varies.
Neither replaces a full inspection. An air sample reads spores in the air, while a phone screen can assess only the visible surfaces shown in submitted photos. The right choice comes down to whether you want lab spore counts or a guided first-pass visual screen across the home.
Side by side
Mold Scanner
- 266 guided photo prompts across 19 rooms. Quick uses 38 prompts and Standard uses 129.
- Structured report: visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps.
- Local visual screening report for reviewing visible cues and camera limits.
- AI-assisted visual screening; processing time varies, no lab kit and no hardware.
- No physical sample or per-sample lab fee. Processing time varies.
- Pre-launch. Access today is the waitlist at moldscanner.ai.
My Mold Detective
- Air sample sent to a lab that counts spore types in the air.
- Kit runs about $179, plus roughly $39 per sample.
- Results come back in days after the lab receives your sample.
- Reads air spores, which a phone screen cannot do.
- Each new check means another sample and another fee.
- Available now as a physical kit.
The spec table
| Feature | Mold Scanner | My Mold Detective |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Guided whole-home walkthrough, room by room | Air sample per collection, sent to a lab |
| What it reads | Visible surfaces a camera can see | Spore types in the air |
| Output | Visual screening report: visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps | Lab spore-count results |
| Local report | Submitted photos, visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps. Not evidence that mold exists | Lab report by mail or email |
| Speed | AI-assisted visual screening; processing time varies | Days, after the lab receives your sample |
| Hardware or kit | None required | Physical kit and air pump |
| Price | Website and waitlist | About $179 kit, plus roughly $39 per sample |
| Framing | Screening tool, not a diagnosis | Lab spore screen, not a full inspection |
My Mold Detective pricing and lab fees reflect its published listing at time of writing. See Sources below.
Visual screen vs mail-in lab
This is the core difference. My Mold Detective is good at the thing it does: it captures an air sample and a lab counts the spore types, which is something no photo can do. The trade-off is the workflow. You buy a kit, take a sample, mail it, pay a per-sample fee, and wait days for the result. If the patch you noticed is the only problem, that is a lot of steps for one answer.
Mold Scanner uses 266 guided photo prompts across 19 rooms, with a 38-prompt Quick flow and a 129-prompt Standard flow. It screens only what the submitted photos show. It cannot identify spore types, locate a water source, see hidden growth, or confirm that mold is present. Processing time varies.
The report you get
A lab kit gives you spore counts from the air. Useful, but it is a number set that still needs interpreting. Mold Scanner returns a structured report: visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps. The report stays on your device unless you export it.
The local report is for reviewing a visual screen. It can show the submitted photos, visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps, but it is not laboratory evidence, a legal or liability assessment, or proof that mold exists.
Price and honest framing
On price, My Mold Detective is a kit at about $179, plus roughly $39 every time you send a sample to the lab. The fees stack each time you want a new check. Mold Scanner is pre-launch, so today the way in is the waitlist at moldscanner.ai.
On framing, one honest note for both. An air sample reads spores, a phone screen reads visible surfaces, and neither is a full inspection or a medical result. Mold Scanner says this plainly: it is a screening tool, it makes no health claims, and it tells you it cannot see hidden mold inside walls, ducts, or subfloors. For symptoms, see a qualified physician. For high-stakes property, confirm with a lab sample or a licensed inspector.
Which one to pick
You want lab-confirmed spore counts from the air
You want to know what is floating in the air, you are willing to buy the kit and pay a per-sample fee, and you can wait days for a lab to return results. That spore data is something a phone screen cannot give you.
You want to screen the whole home and walk away with a report
You want a guided AI-assisted visual screen across the home without collecting an air sample. The local report can show submitted photos, visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps. It does not identify a water source or establish whether mold is present. Join the waitlist for first access.
Plenty of people end up wanting both: a fast whole-home screen the moment they spot something, then a lab air sample only where it matters. Whichever you start with, confirm anything serious with a lab sample or a licensed inspector.
Screen your whole home, not just one spot
Mold Scanner provides 266 guided photo prompts across 19 rooms, including a 38-prompt Quick flow and a 129-prompt Standard flow. It is AI-assisted visual screening only, and processing time varies.
Join the waitlistFrequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Mold Scanner and My Mold Detective?
My Mold Detective is a DIY air-sampling kit. You buy the kit, take an air sample, mail it to a lab, and pay a per-sample lab fee for results that come back in days. Mold Scanner is an AI-assisted visual screening tool with 266 guided photo prompts across 19 rooms. Quick uses 38 prompts and Standard uses 129. Its local report can show submitted photos, visible cues, camera limitations, and conservative next steps; processing time varies. The phone screen does not identify spore types or replace sampling.
How much does My Mold Detective cost?
The My Mold Detective kit runs about $179, plus roughly $39 per sample sent to the lab. Results come back in days after the lab receives your sample. Mold Scanner is pre-launch, so the way to access it today is the waitlist at moldscanner.ai.
Is an air-sampling kit better than a phone screen?
They do different jobs. An air-sampling kit sends a sample to a lab that can identify spore types in the air, which a phone cannot do. A phone screen assesses only visible surfaces shown in submitted photos, and processing time varies. Use a licensed inspector or laboratory when you need confirmation.
Which should I use, Mold Scanner or My Mold Detective?
If you want lab-confirmed spore counts from the air and you are willing to pay the kit and per-sample fee and wait days, My Mold Detective is built for that. Mold Scanner is for a guided AI-assisted visual screen of submitted photos across the home. Its local report states the camera limitations and is not evidence that mold exists.
Can either replace a professional mold inspection?
No. A phone screen reads visible surfaces and an air-sampling kit reads spores in the air, but neither sees hidden mold inside walls, ducts, or under flooring the way a professional can. A professional inspection can investigate beyond camera-visible surfaces and collect samples when needed. Bring in a licensed inspector or lab for anything serious or high-stakes.