# LEGO® Builder vs BrickScan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LEGO® Builder at none against BrickScan's 2. LEGO® Builder also leads on ratings volume (290K vs 1.6K) and review sentiment (78% vs 60%). BrickScan's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrickScan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. LEGO® Builder asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for LEGO® Builder against 4.9 for BrickScan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LEGO® Builder has 290K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of LEGO® Builder's written reviews are positive against 60% of BrickScan's.

LEGO® Builder ships an update every 3 weeks, BrickScan weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LEGO® Builder | BrickScan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (290K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lego-builder-3d-instructions/id1486159728/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brickscan-ai-minifig-scanner/id1602067461/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **290K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | **77.6% of reviews** | 59.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#95** | — |
| Size | 264 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LEGO](https://appshunter.io/developer/347363505) | [BrickMonkey LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1602067463) |

## What reviewers say

### LEGO® Builder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lego-builder-3d-instructions/id1486159728)

**Currently charting:** #95 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

This app provides interactive 3D building instructions for LEGO sets. It allows users to zoom, rotate, and view models from all angles, with step-by-step guidance. It also features a collaborative building mode for multiple users and a digital library of thousands of instruction manuals.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D building instructions, Zoom, rotate, and view from all angles, Step-by-step digital guidance, Collaborative 'Build Together' mode, Digital library of thousands of instructions, Track building progress and brick count

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for building sets
- 🤖 Great 3D instructions
- 💡 Ability to save built sets
- 🎨 Organized by theme and year

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when using sticker steps
- 🔍 Missing instructions for older/retired sets
- 🔍 Incomplete set of instructions for newer sets
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find specific sets
- 🔍 Inability to add older sets to collection

**Reported bugs**

- Sets disappearing from collection after updates
- Inability to log in and save collection
- Slow loading and reloading of instructions
- Zoom and navigation issues on instructions

**Requested features**

- Add more older/retired sets
- Improve navigation and search functionality
- Allow adding of older sets to collection
- Implement wishlist feature
- Add more personalization options for profiles


### BrickScan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brickscan-ai-minifig-scanner/id1602067461)

Instantly identify thousands of LEGO minifigures and parts by simply taking a picture. Organize, track, and estimate the value of your collection with this advanced scanner. A must-have tool for collectors and hobbyists.

**Highlights:** AI-powered minifigure and part identification, Scan thousands of unique figures and bricks, Collection tracking and value estimation, Identify missing parts for completion, Compare prices and find sellers online, Organize and manage LEGO collections

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium | $54.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for identifying and cataloging minifigures
- 🚀 Saves a lot of time sorting through parts
- 💡 Useful features like linking to Bricklink
- 👍 Accurate in recognizing most minifigures
- 👍 Great customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Premium subscription required for full functionality
- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🐛 Occasional connection issues or scanning errors
- 🔍 Limited free scans per day
- 💰 Prices not always accurate

**Reported bugs**

- Scanning issues with low light conditions
- Occasional app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Ability to sort collection by set, theme, or value
- More comprehensive database of recent minifigures
- Option to scan heads and printed legs
- Feature to identify stickers and printed parts
- Wishlist functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LEGO® Builder free?

LEGO® Builder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BrickScan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LEGO® Builder or BrickScan?

BrickScan is rated higher. LEGO® Builder averages 4.8 out of 5 from 290K ratings, while BrickScan averages 4.9 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do LEGO® Builder or BrickScan have ads?

Neither LEGO® Builder nor BrickScan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LEGO® Builder or BrickScan?

LEGO® Builder ships an update every 3 weeks, and BrickScan weekly. Most recently, LEGO® Builder was updated on November 1, 2026 and BrickScan on October 30, 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.*