Comparison

ClayLab vs Kiln keeper

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

Kiln keeper

This app helps glass and ceramic artists meticulously document and track their kiln firing schedules. It allows for detailed logging of temperature segments, ramp times, and hold times, with options to add project photos and videos. Visualize progress with graphs and compare firings to refine techniques.

Highlights
  • Log temperature schedules with multiple segments
  • Record ramp times, hold times, and peak temperatures
  • Add photos and videos of projects
  • Create custom firing templates
  • Export data as PDF
  • Track outcomes and learn from firings
  • Visualize progress with temperature graphs
Features
Read full description

The essential companion for glass and ceramic artists. Kiln Keeper helps you document, track, and perfect your kiln firing schedules all from your phone. Whether you're fusing glass, slumping, or firing ceramics, keep a beautiful visual record of every project. Document Your Work: Log temperature schedules with multiple segments Record ramp times, hold times, and peak temperatures All features included. Add photos and videos of your projects Create custom firing templates All data stays on your device and can be exported as PDF. Track outcomes and learn from each firing Support for fusing, slumping, casting, and annealing Track glass thickness and type Temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius Clay type selection (Stoneware, Porcelain, Earthenware, and more) Cone rating tracking Bisque, glaze, and single fire support Visualize Your Progress Beautiful temperature profile graphs Compare firings side-by-side View statistics and success rates Monthly activity charts

Screenshots

ClayLab4 screens
Kiln keeper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ClayLab at Free against Kiln keeper's $4.99. ClayLab also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (369 vs 1). Kiln keeper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

ClayLab is free to download; Kiln keeper costs $4.99 up front. ClayLab sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Kiln keeper asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ClayLab holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ClayLab has 369 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ClayLab versus Kiln keeper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClayLabKiln keeper
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.6 (369 ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews91.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings369 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLorenzo CalvaniZACHARY SIMON GORELL

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

Kiln keeper

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

Kiln keeper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ClayLab free?
ClayLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kiln keeper free?
Kiln keeper costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ClayLab or Kiln keeper?
ClayLab is rated higher. ClayLab averages 4.6 out of 5 from 369 ratings, while Kiln keeper averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do ClayLab or Kiln keeper have ads?
Neither ClayLab nor Kiln keeper shows ads.

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