# LotDate vs Cosmeticon

The clearest difference is rating: LotDate at 4.7 against Cosmeticon's 4.1. LotDate also leads on ads (none vs shown). Cosmeticon's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LotDate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Cosmeticon sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

LotDate holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 231 and 200 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of LotDate's written reviews are positive against 43% of Cosmeticon's.

LotDate ships an update every 4 days, Cosmeticon every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LotDate | Cosmeticon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lotdate-batch-code-checker/id1158056006/reviews)** | [4.1 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmeticon-cosmetic-scanner/id1523733980/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **231** | 200 |
| Positive reviews | **46.2% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [占辉 百](https://appshunter.io/developer/1081455103) | [ANASTASIYA BATURYNA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869930793) |

## What reviewers say

### LotDate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lotdate-batch-code-checker/id1158056006)

Instantly decode cosmetic batch codes to find out when your products were made and their estimated expiry dates. Supports over 2000 brands with an AI-powered engine and saves your decoding history.

**Highlights:** Decode batch codes instantly, Supports 2000+ cosmetic brands, AI-powered decoding engine, Check product freshness and expiry, Saves decoding history, Optional Pro subscription for unlimited queries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Membership | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $17.99 | one-time |


### Cosmeticon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmeticon-cosmetic-scanner/id1523733980)

Decode cosmetic ingredients instantly by scanning labels or searching a database. Get safety ratings, spot allergens, and receive personalized recommendations to make informed purchasing decisions.

**Highlights:** Instant label scanning, Ingredient safety ratings, Allergen detection, Personalized watchlists, Multilingual support, Scan history

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Scans Monthly Package | $1.99 | per month |
| VIP Monthly 60% Off | $3.19 | per month |
| PREMIUM (1 MONTH) | $3.99 | per month |
| VIP Monthly 50% Off | $3.99 | per month |
| VIP Monthly 3 days free | $7.99 | per month |
| PREMIUM (3 MONTHS) | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| VIP Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| VIP Yearly 85% Sale | $15.99 | per year |
| VIP Yearly 60% Off, 3 days Free | $15.99 | per year |
| PREMIUM (12 MONTHS) | $19.99 | per year |
| VIP Yearly, 7 days free | $39.99 | per year |
| VIP Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| VIP Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very accurate and informative
- 👍 Helpful for clearing skin
- 👍 Comprehensive ingredient understanding
- 👍 Easy to choose skincare/cleaning products
- 👍 Can upload screenshots/photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 'No ingredients found' error
- 🐛 Scanner misreads/skips ingredients
- 🐛 Too many ads
- 🐛 App wants payment for membership
- 🐛 Doesn't show overall rating

**Reported bugs**

- Repeatedly says 'No ingredients found'
- Scanner misreads/skips ingredients
- Difficulty detecting image
- Loading animation not working

**Requested features**

- Allow typing ingredients to search
- Improve image detection/scanning
- Provide guidance on taking ingredient photos
- Show overall rating


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LotDate free?

LotDate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cosmeticon free?

Cosmeticon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, LotDate or Cosmeticon?

LotDate is rated higher. LotDate averages 4.7 out of 5 from 231 ratings, while Cosmeticon averages 4.1 from 200 ratings.

### Do LotDate or Cosmeticon have ads?

Cosmeticon shows ads; LotDate does not.

### Which is updated more often, LotDate or Cosmeticon?

LotDate ships an update every 4 days, and Cosmeticon every 3 days. Most recently, LotDate was updated on October 15, 2026 and Cosmeticon on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*