Datacolor ColorReader vs Festool
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Datacolor ColorReader
This app helps professionals and DIYers accurately match paint colors from walls or objects to popular paint brands. It provides color values and recommendations, saving time and ensuring job quality.
- Accurate paint color matching (>90%)
- Matches to uploaded fan decks
- Build, save, and share color palettes
- Color measurement history
- Color scheme recommendations
- Get paint brand color name and number
- Provides RGB, Hex, CIELab values
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Matching paint color by eye is subjective. Job quality is not. That’s why you need the Datacolor ColorReader. It matches paint color with more than 90% accuracy. All at the push of a button. All in the brand of your choice. The ColorReader analyzes the color of a wall or object and matches it in less than a second to the closest paint color. For those who need to know paint color to do their jobs. No more matching by eye and searching through fan decks or color cards. Paint confidently. Design confidently. DIY confidently. Be confident with color. Highest Accuracy Across Popular Paint Brands • Industry leading matching with more than 90% success rate • Matches color to any uploaded fan deck • Easy to use • One-click analysis • Ultra-portable • Bluetooth®-connected • OLED display for standalone device use (ColorReader Pro only) Expanded capabilities through the mobile app: • Build, save, and share color palettes • Color measurement history • Color scheme recommendations for harmonious color flow • Get paint brand color name and number • Get color values for measurements and color matches including RGB, Hex, CIELab, and more! • QC functionality (ColorReader and ColorReader Pro only) Backed by the Leading Precision Color Company For more than 45 years, Datacolor’s passion for precision color has helped us meet the exacting needs of more than a million customers whose entire job depends on the accuracy of their colors. What People Are Saying about ColorReader? “This device is incredibly easy to use - and it’s dependable.” John Metz - Haddon Painting “I love it. It cut one hour of time off my desk.” Debbie Deutsh – Interiors by Cornerstone “In this industry, time is money. If I can’t get the exact color they want, I’m losing time and material costs. “ Jon Ipock – ProTastic Painting “I have not stopped using it in matching colors to fabric and wall covering. It has saved me so much time in trying to match with paint chips.” Vincent Wolf – Vincent Wolf Associates, Inc. “There are many contenders in this field, but this in my opinion is the only one that provides the best balance between accuracy, ease-of-use and price. Whatever color you read with your ColorReader will be matched against those fan decks and the best matching returned. This is a much better alternative to purchasing multiple paint samples and trying them out, and is in my opinion the best bang for the buck.” Amazon Customer “Bought this (the lower cost one) because it seemed there had to be a better way than trying to match paint swatches to what is on the walls now. Setup was straight forward, and the app is fairly easy to use to take readings. The device accurately identified a swatch that I had, and it was straight forward to take multiple readings of the long ago painted walls in our old house.“ Amazon Customer Terms & Conditions: https://www.datacolor.com/legal/us/terms-conditions/ Privacy Policy: http://www.datacolor.com/legal-documents/colorreader/privacy-policy/
Festool
Manage and customize your power tools with this app. Track tool locations, register for warranty, order repairs, and stay updated on new products and promotions. It provides a direct connection to your tools and services.
- Tool customization and updates
- Location detection
- Tool registration and warranty
- Repair ordering
- Product discovery and watch list
- Dealer search
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Stay connected with the Festool app Download the Festool app now and discover practical additional functions for your tools! As an extension of the Festool system, you always have an overview of your tools and services, can customise them and receive help for your application. You can also keep your tools up to date with updates and benefit from exclusive information on promotions, new products and competitions! Your benefits: - Customise the settings of your tool to your individual needs and keep it up to date with regular software updates. - Use location detection to localise your tool at any time and from anywhere. - Register your tool, register it for the warranty all-inclusive, order repairs and communicate directly with Festool. - Discover Festool products directly and conveniently via the app. - Save your favourite products to your personal watch list and share them with your dealer. - With the dealer search, your nearest Festool partner is always just a click away. Save your favourites and navigate easily - even internationally. We learn from the best: From you! Festool means first-class power tools. With the claim that they make the everyday work of tradespeople easier, more productive and safer. We can only do that together with you. By communicating with each other openly and incorporating your feedback directly into the development of our products. Your success is the best praise.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Festool at none against Datacolor ColorReader's 4. Festool also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (35% vs 25%). Datacolor ColorReader's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Datacolor ColorReader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Festool asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Datacolor ColorReader against 4.8 for Festool. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 699 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of Datacolor ColorReader's written reviews are positive against 35% of Festool's.
Datacolor ColorReader ships an update every 2 months, Festool every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Datacolor ColorReader | Festool |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (699 ratings) | 4.8 (1.4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.3% of reviews | 35.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 699 | 1.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 151 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Datacolor Inc. | Festool GmbH |
Customer experience
Datacolor ColorReader
Festool
User reviews
Datacolor ColorReader
From 699 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Accurate color matching on ceiling colors
- 📚 Comprehensive paint brand library
- ⚡ Quick and efficient scanning process
- 🎯 Useful complementary color schemes
- 👍 Minimal app permissions required
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connection failures between device and app
- ❌ Poor color accuracy on walls and samples
- 📵 App requires device connection to view saved colors
- 🔄 Outdated and missing paint colors in library
- 🎨 Inconsistent results across different lighting conditions
Festool
From 1.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💚 Perfection in every way
- 👍 Simple, fast, effective
- 🔝 Top quality
- 💚 Excellent before iOS26
- 💚 Exceptional service
Room to improve
- 🐛 Amazing products, customer service diabolical
- 🐛 Lack of product photos
- 🐛 Order of registered machines
- 🐛 Renofix sander not connectable
- 🐛 Landscape option not available
Bugs and requests
Datacolor ColorReader
Reported bugs
10 issues- Blank page on device registration
- White screen during app startup
- Calibration failed error messages
- Device won't connect to smartphone
- Bluetooth connectivity issues requiring multiple attempts
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- Fan deck update stuck indefinitely
- Missing read button on iPhone XS Max
- iOS 12 compatibility broken after update
- Inaccessible color history after fan deck removal
- Support ticket system non-functional
Requested features
10 requests- Store scanned colors on phone without device connection
- Cloud sync for color history across devices
- Tutorial or guided walkthrough for app navigation
- Ability to delete individual colors from history
- Reorder colors within custom palettes
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- Search by paint swatch number
- Support for more eco-conscious paint brands
- Expanded UK/European paint brand options
- Separate color selection for trim and cabinets in photo mode
- Display custom color names in detail view
Festool
Reported bugs
8 issues- Battery firmware update doesn't work
- Akkus und Maschinen werden einfach gelöscht
- Every update deletes the battery information
- Impossible to register a brand new tool with receipt scan
- App gets stuck on sign in
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- App stopped working
- Can't pair CTL Midi
- App no longer connects to Bluetooth devices after update
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to rename batteries
- Save and transfer angle settings
- Watch version
- Ability to delete old tools
In-app purchases
Datacolor ColorReader
- NCS Colour (monthly)$9.991 Month
- British Standards (monthly)$14.991 Month
- NCS Colour (yearly)$89.991 Year
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- British Standards (yearly)$149.991 Year
Festool
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Datacolor ColorReader free?
Is Festool free?
Which has better reviews, Datacolor ColorReader or Festool?
Do Datacolor ColorReader or Festool have ads?
Which is updated more often, Datacolor ColorReader or Festool?
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