Comparison

ClayLab vs SB Connect

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

Head to head
About

ClayLab

A digital diary for ceramists to meticulously document their pottery projects. Track every stage, from forming to firing, and record detailed information about glazes, clay bodies, and application techniques. Organize and retrieve your work with advanced search and backup features.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive progress tracking
  • Detailed documentation of glazes and materials
  • Advanced search and filtering
  • Data backup and import/export
  • Layering and application details logging
  • Unlimited photos per piece
Features
Read full description

Never lose track of a pottery piece again. ClayLab is a pottery journal and studio tracker designed by potters for potters. Track pieces, glazes, firings, experiments, and inventory in one place. Whether you work in a home studio or a shared community studio, ClayLab helps you stay organized, find your work, and learn from every experiment. Track every stage of your pottery journey, from wet clay to finished work. Record glazes, underglazes, slips, oxides, stains, clay bodies, forming methods, dimensions, weight, firing results, and more. Keep detailed notes and photos so you always know what worked and what didn't. ▶ Stay Organized Track pieces through every stage Record sold, gifted, traded, available, and archived pieces Organize work with custom locations Quickly find pieces in shared studios Unlimited pieces Unlimited photos ▶ Track Your Process Glazes and underglazes Clay bodies Forming methods Slips, oxides, and stains Stage tracking Status tracking Detailed notes Dimensions and weight tracking ▶ Learn From Every Experiment Compare results across pieces Search and filter by glaze, clay body, form, stage, and more Record glaze layering and application details Track dipping times Calculate shrinkage and monitor changes through firing ▶ Backup & Restore Protect your pottery records with export and import tools. Easily back up your data and move it between devices. Perfect for potters, ceramic artists, students, hobbyists, and studio members who want to keep better records, stay organized, and improve their craft. ▶ What's Included No ads Unlimited pieces Search and filtering Custom glazes Custom underglazes Custom clay bodies Custom stains Custom oxides Custom forms Custom forming methods Custom locations Dimensions tracking Weight tracking Stage tracking Status tracking Unlimited photos General note-taking ▶ ClayLab Pro Backup export Backup import Unlimited glaze layers Coat tracking Application method logging Glaze annotations Dipping time tracking Duplicate pieces (up to 20 copies) Custom stage definitions ▶ How do ClayLab Pro subscriptions work? ClayLab Pro Monthly: billed monthly ClayLab Pro Yearly: billed annually at a discounted rate Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account upon confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal in your App Store account settings. www.claylabapp.com/terms www.claylabapp.com/privacy-policy

About

SB Connect

Report community issues directly to City of Santa Barbara staff. Submit service requests with photos, track their progress, and receive completion notifications. Stay updated with local news, schedules, and events.

Highlights
  • Submit service requests
  • Attach photos to requests
  • Track request status
  • Receive completion notifications
  • View community news
  • Check event schedules
Read full description

The SB Connect app connects you directly with City of Santa Barbara staff to more efficiently resolve issues in our community. Here's how it works: 1. See something that needs to be fixed. 2. Create an account 3. Submit a service request and attach a photo 4. City Staff receive your request and fix the problem! 5. You get notified when the service request is completed. You can also check out the latest community news, schedules, and events!

Screenshots

ClayLab4 screens
SB Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ClayLab at 91% against SB Connect's 0%. ClayLab also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.8) and ads (none vs shown). SB Connect's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On price and device support 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. ClayLab sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SB Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ClayLab holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ClayLab has 370 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of ClayLab's written reviews are positive against 0% of SB Connect's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ClayLab ships an update every 2 months, SB Connect every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
ClayLab versus SB Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClayLabSB Connect
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (370 ratings) — better2.8 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews91.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings370 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.412.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLorenzo CalvaniCity of Santa Barbara (CA)

Customer experience

ClayLab

All ratings366 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral4.9%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive91.4%
Neutral6.0%
Negative2.6%

SB Connect

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

ClayLab

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • Data loss when changing devices or reinstalling

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add hand-building option alongside thrown pieces
  • Ability to track firing details (cone, atmosphere, etc.)
  • Option to create custom categories (e.g., sold, gifted)
  • Search and filter by glaze, clay, form, etc.
  • Sync data across devices (iCloud, etc.)
Show 1 more
  • Export data to CSV or PDF format

SB Connect

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ClayLab

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
None

SB Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ClayLab free?
ClayLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SB Connect free?
SB Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ClayLab or SB Connect?
ClayLab is rated higher. ClayLab averages 4.6 out of 5 from 370 ratings, while SB Connect averages 2.8 from 6 ratings.
Do ClayLab or SB Connect have ads?
SB Connect shows ads; ClayLab does not.
Which is updated more often, ClayLab or SB Connect?
ClayLab ships an update every 2 months, and SB Connect every 5 months. Most recently, ClayLab was updated on November 6, 2026 and SB Connect on November 3, 2026.

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