This review focuses on the utilization of organic photodetectors (OPDs) in optical analytical applications, highlighting examples of chemical and biological sensors and lab-on-a-chip spectrometers. The integration of OPDs with other organic optical sensor components, such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) excitation sources and thin organic sensing films, presents a step toward achieving compact, eventually disposable all-organic analytical devices. We discuss recent advances in developing and integrating OPDs for various applications as well as challenges faced in this area.