# ClayLab vs Pentimento

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pentimento at every 2 days against ClayLab's every 2 months. Pentimento also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). ClayLab's advantage is ratings volume (369 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ClayLab sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Pentimento sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pentimento holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. 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.

ClayLab ships an update every 2 months, Pentimento every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ClayLab | Pentimento |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (369 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/claylab/id1455800155/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentimento-studio-log/id6778650283/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **369** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 91.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.4 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lorenzo Calvani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455800154) | [Hugh Prysten](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896498723) |

## What reviewers say

### ClayLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/claylab/id1455800155)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for organizing pottery pieces
- 👍 Customizable options for clays, glazes, and forms
- 📸 Ability to take and store photos of pieces
- 🗒️ Detailed notes and tracking capabilities
- 🔍 Useful for remembering glaze combinations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 No backup or export functionality
- 🔍 Lack of search and filtering options
- 🔢 Limited to 3 glaze layers per piece
- 📏 No metric measurement options
- 🗑️ Unable to delete pre-populated options

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or performance issues
- Data loss when changing devices or reinstalling

**Requested features**

- 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.)


### Pentimento

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentimento-studio-log/id6778650283)

This app helps painters and realist artists document their creative process, catalogue their artwork, and track sales. It allows you to add dated progress photos, record details about each piece, and manage its status from creation to sale. Showcase finished works with customizable presentation options.

**Highlights:** Document painting stages with dated photos, Catalogue artwork details (title, medium, dimensions), Organize work into collections, Track artwork status (in-progress, sold), Record sales and consignment details, Showcase finished pieces with custom backgrounds, Private, on-device storage

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pentimento Unlimited | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ClayLab free?

ClayLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pentimento free?

Pentimento is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ClayLab or Pentimento?

Pentimento is rated higher. ClayLab averages 4.6 out of 5 from 369 ratings, while Pentimento averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do ClayLab or Pentimento have ads?

Neither ClayLab nor Pentimento shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ClayLab or Pentimento?

ClayLab ships an update every 2 months, and Pentimento every 2 days. Most recently, ClayLab was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pentimento on October 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*