# paintRack vs Hobby Codex

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hobby Codex at every 6 days against paintRack's every 6 weeks. Hobby Codex also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). paintRack's advantage is ratings volume (219 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. paintRack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hobby Codex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for paintRack against 5.0 for Hobby Codex. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: paintRack has 219 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of paintRack's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hobby Codex's.

paintRack ships an update every 6 weeks, Hobby Codex every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | paintRack | Hobby Codex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintrack/id1490523130/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hobby-codex-miniatures/id6769028242/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **219** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 71 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Courageous Octopus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1490523129) | [Labrousse Nicolas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896623805) |

## What reviewers say

### paintRack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintrack/id1490523130)

Manage your miniature paints with a comprehensive digital library. Track your collection, create custom paint sets, and discover matching colors. Features barcode scanning for quick additions and a wish list to monitor needed supplies.

**Highlights:** Extensive paint library, Custom paint set creation, Barcode scanning for adding paints, Color matching tools, Wish list management

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Unlock | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient scanning and inventory management
- 💡 Helpful color matching and comparison tools
- 👍 Extensive paint database across brands
- 👍 Useful for planning and tracking painting projects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with scanning and recognizing certain paint brands
- 🐛 Occasional inaccuracies in color matching
- 🔍 Limited ability to manually add paints not in the database
- 🔍 Lack of cloud sync/cross-device functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Certain paint brands not appearing in megafilter
- Scanning issues with some barcodes

**Requested features**

- Ability to upload and attach photos to paint sets/projects
- Improved sorting and organization options for paint libraries
- Bulk add/import functionality for entire paint ranges
- Personal paint mixing/recipe notes section


### Hobby Codex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hobby-codex-miniatures/id6769028242)

Organize your miniature painting hobby with this app. Catalog your collection, save paint recipes, manage your paint inventory, and track project progress. Designed for mobile use on your painting desk.

**Highlights:** Catalog miniatures, Save paint recipes, Manage paint inventory, Track project progress, Log painting sessions, Built-in paint catalog

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Box Catalog | $2.99 | per month |
| Box Catalog | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is paintRack free?

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

### Is Hobby Codex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, paintRack or Hobby Codex?

Hobby Codex is rated higher. paintRack averages 4.9 out of 5 from 219 ratings, while Hobby Codex averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do paintRack or Hobby Codex have ads?

Neither paintRack nor Hobby Codex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, paintRack or Hobby Codex?

paintRack ships an update every 6 weeks, and Hobby Codex every 6 days. Most recently, paintRack was updated on October 30, 2026 and Hobby Codex on October 24, 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.*