Comparison

Munsell Viewer vs SoilHue

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Munsell Viewer

This application displays Munsell color charts and converts Munsell values to RGB. It also shows color tables based on various Munsell value standards like US Standard Card and Japan JIS.

Highlights
  • Munsell color chart display
  • Munsell to RGB conversion
  • Color table display
  • Support for multiple color standards
Features
Read full description

Munsell Viewer is software that performs "coloring using Munsell values". 1. Displaying of Munsell color chart. (All colors of definition value in RIT real.dat) 2. Converting the input Munsell value to RGB value and displaying its color and its value. 3. Displaying a color table using Munsell values such as US Standard Card, ISCC-NBS, Japan JIS standard etc. Currently, these three are the basic functions.

About

SoilHue

This app analyzes soil color from photographs, providing Munsell notation and an approximate USDA soil order. It offers advanced camera calibration and on-device processing for privacy. Ideal for professionals and students working with soil.

Highlights
  • Soil color identification from photos
  • Munsell notation and USDA soil order
  • Advanced camera calibration
  • On-device image analysis
  • Export data to .xlsx
  • Lighting condition check
Features
Read full description

SoilHue identifies the Munsell color of a soil sample from a photograph taken with your device. It is built for pedologists, agronomists, geologists, archaeologists, conservators, soil-science students and anyone who works with soil color in the field. WHAT IT DOES • Calibrate the camera with an X-Rite ColorChecker Classic. SoilHue detects the card automatically inside your photo, rectifies its perspective, and computes a 3×3 correction matrix by least-squares fit over the 24 reference patches. • Take a photo of your soil sample (or pick one from your library) and select the area to analyze with a rectangle or a free-form polygon. • SoilHue averages the selected pixels in linear sRGB, applies your calibration matrix, and finds the closest match in CIE Lab among 293 chips derived from the official USDA Munsell renotation data. • Get the Munsell notation, an approximate USDA soil order (Histosol, Mollisol, Alfisol, Oxisol, Vertisol, Spodosol, Aridisol, Entisol, Inceptisol, Ultisol) and a short description. WHAT'S NEW IN 2.0 • 293 reference chips instead of 18. • ΔE94 in CIE Lab instead of Euclidean RGB. • Matrix 3×3 calibration replacing per-channel factors. • Automatic ColorChecker detection (Vision framework). • Printable calibration card (2-page A4 PDF, ICC sRGB). • Lighting check (warm/cool/atypical tint warning). • Real .xlsx export. • Accessibility, dark mode and stability improvements. DATA & PRIVACY • All analysis runs on-device. No image, sample or location ever leaves your phone. • Samples are stored locally in your app sandbox. iCloud sync is planned for a future release. • Location is captured only when you explicitly grant it. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone or iPad running iOS 17.6 or later. • A reasonably calibrated camera. Recommended: X-Rite ColorChecker Classic for best results. A basic calibration card is included for casual use. NOTES The USDA soil order classification is a heuristic orientation, not a definitive diagnosis — real classification depends on horizon, chemistry, texture and other field properties. Calibrations saved with versions before 2.0 are not compatible with the new color engine; the app will ask you to recalibrate. Contact: soilhue@ajgb.eu — Web: ajgb.eu/apps/soilhue

Screenshots

Munsell Viewer4 screens
SoilHue4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Munsell Viewer at 3.2 against SoilHue's 1.0. Munsell Viewer also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Munsell Viewer holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Munsell Viewer has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 0% and 0% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Munsell Viewer versus SoilHue: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMunsell ViewerSoilHue
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (6 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYasashi MatsuoAntonio J. Gonzalez

Customer experience

Munsell Viewer

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative83.3%

SoilHue

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Munsell Viewer

No in-app purchases

None

SoilHue

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Munsell Viewer free?
Munsell Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SoilHue free?
SoilHue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Munsell Viewer or SoilHue?
Munsell Viewer is rated higher. Munsell Viewer averages 3.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SoilHue averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Munsell Viewer or SoilHue have ads?
Neither Munsell Viewer nor SoilHue shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Munsell Viewer or SoilHue?
Munsell Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and SoilHue every 2 months. Most recently, Munsell Viewer was updated on October 20, 2026 and SoilHue on September 28, 2026.

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