# Variable Color vs InstColor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: InstColor at 100% against Variable Color's 0%. InstColor also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). Variable Color's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Variable Color holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Variable Color has 62 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Variable Color's written reviews are positive against 100% of InstColor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Variable Color ships an update every 5 weeks, InstColor daily. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Variable Color | InstColor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variable-color/id1321076731/reviews)** | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instcolor/id1662424895/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **62** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 83 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Variable Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/569541572) | [Lei Cao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1578550166) |

## What reviewers say

### Variable Color

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variable-color/id1321076731)

Easily scan and identify colors from your surroundings. Find matching paints and materials, organize your color discoveries into palettes, and share them with others. Streamline your color selection process for design, DIY, or professional projects.

**Highlights:** Scan and identify colors instantly, Match colors to paint and material libraries, Organize colors into custom palettes, Share color palettes with others, Cross-reference colors between brands, Attach images to palettes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### InstColor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instcolor/id1662424895)

Instantly detect and extract colors from your surroundings using your device's camera. Get detailed color information, including names, RGB values, and color families. Explore color blending and various color translation options.

**Highlights:** Real-time camera color extraction, Color names, RGB, and family info, Dominant colors detection, Color blending experiments, RGB/HSB/HEX inter-conversions, Color translation schemes, Save favorite colors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Variable Color free?

Variable Color is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is InstColor free?

InstColor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Variable Color or InstColor?

Variable Color is rated higher. Variable Color averages 4.4 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while InstColor averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Variable Color or InstColor have ads?

InstColor shows ads; Variable Color does not.

### Which is updated more often, Variable Color or InstColor?

Variable Color ships an update every 5 weeks, and InstColor daily. Most recently, Variable Color was updated on September 17, 2026 and InstColor on September 12, 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.*