Comparison

PigmentViewer vs Chrooma Colors

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

Head to head
About

PigmentViewer

Features
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Virtual fandeck, interactive display of effect and color pigments and formulations thereof. PigmentViewer is a virtual fandeck for the visual presentation and the side-by-side inspection of the pigment products of Sun Chemical, comprising effect and color pigments for different industries. Furthermore, it can be used to explore examples of their application in a wide range of formulations. By using innovative image rendering technology, the app displays the appearance of our effect and color pigments in various applications and formulations, emphasizing the individual sparkle and flop behavior of effect pigments. The visual experience is far beyond photo or video demonstrations. Move your mobile device just like you would do with a real test panel in your hands. Assess the color travel of the effect pigments during flop movement. Investigate the hiding properties of products by observing applications over black and white substrates. See the color pigments acting in an aluminum reduction and explore interactions of pigments in formulation examples. Search pigments of your choice by using multiple filters offering many industry-relevant criteria. Group and save your personal collections. Study interactively the visual appearance and compare products of interest side by side, as you are used to. Obtain technical data, and the coloristic behavior plotted in convenient professional diagrams. Features - virtual fandeck for pigments of Sun Chemical - effect and color pigments, as well as formulation examples and trend stylings - gyro-controlled interactive viewer - images by high quality digital rendering - side-by-side inspection of appearance - various pigment application types - industry-relevant filters, personalized - custom-made collections - login to your Color Materials account - extensive product data, TDS (via login) - professional color data diagrams - easy, self-evident navigation Quick start guide For deeper instructions and information use the 3-dots-menu in the app to get to "Settings", then click "Usage Instructions". The app requires internet connection to access the Sun Chemical Color Materials pigments database. The app is structured into three main windows. Imagine them to be ordered side by side: Filters - Lists - Viewer You can move between these main windows by swiping or using the arrow buttons alternatively. The filtering result is given in the list "Products". Use the lists to select and download pigments, that you want to get displayed in the gyro-controlled "Viewer" window. Enjoy assessing the comparative appearance of two pigments or formulations under the varying illumination and observation conditions that you simulate by tilting your device with your arm – like you do in the real world! Numerical facts? Being in the "Viewer" open the data list and the diagram sub-windows. The texture size in the representation of simulated effect applications is scaled to be close to realism on a typical mobile phone monitor (6 inch).

About

Chrooma Colors

Features
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Play with colors. See what you've been missing. Chrooma uses real color science, not RGB shortcuts. Extract a palette from any photo and understand immediately why those colors work together: which harmonies are present, where they sit in Munsell space, what temperature balance they create. Or mix your own colors with spectral calculations that model how pigments actually behave. PHOTO ANALYSIS Pull a palette from any photo and understand it immediately: • Unlimited extraction from camera or library • Harmony detection, temperature mapping, balance analysis • Dedicated fullscreen modal with one-tap export • See what Pro analysis unlocks before you buy EXPLORE — 23 Interactive Challenges Put your color vision to the test for real. Sort Munsell value steps, identify simultaneous contrasts, reconstruct palettes from memory. Scoring uses CIEDE2000 perceptual difference. You'll discover where your perception is sharp and where it isn't. COMPOSE — 56 Generative Styles Turn any palette into shareable art. Geometric tiles, flow fields, Voronoi cells, aurora gradients, Albers-style overlays. Export as PNG or animated MP4. EXPLAIN — Color Theory You Can See 10 interactive pages: Itten's 7 contrasts, Munsell notation, Goethe's color theory, 460+ color names with etymology and history, gamut visualization, harmony rules, light physics. Not a textbook. Every concept is something you interact with. MIX — Paint Recipes with Spectral Physics Kubelka-Munk theory models how light scatters through pigment layers. Blue + yellow produces a muted olive, not bright green, because that's what real paint does. Spectral reflectance curves from 24 real pigments (Golden Heavy Body Acrylics, measured with a spectrophotometer). Separate engines for paint, light, and colorant. COLOR COMPARE Pick two colors and see exactly how they relate. Perceptual distance (Ī”E₀₀), WCAG contrast ratio, harmony type, temperature delta, Itten contrasts. MORE • Gradient comparison across 4 color spaces (HSL, Lab, OKLCh, sRGB) • Color of the Day with a new curated color every morning • Weekly palettes tied to seasons and weather • Your Color Imprint, a personality profile that evolves monthly • Palette management with unlimited palettes • Works offline, no account required WHO USES CHROOMA? Painters who want to understand why their mixes don't turn out as expected. Art students studying Itten and Munsell. If you're decorating a room and need to pull a palette from a photo, it does that. And if you just want more than a hex picker, the challenges alone are worth it. PRICING Free to explore. One purchase unlocks everything. No subscription, no ads, ever. PRIVACY No account. Your palettes stay on your device. Optional anonymous analytics, adjustable in Settings.

Screenshots

PigmentViewer4 screens
Chrooma Colors4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PigmentViewer at none against Chrooma Colors's 1. Chrooma Colors's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Chrooma Colors sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PigmentViewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PigmentViewer ships an update every 2 months, Chrooma Colors every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
PigmentViewer versus Chrooma Colors: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPigmentViewerChrooma Colors
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSun Chemical Colors & Effects GmbHJulien Brun

In-app purchases

None

PigmentViewer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chrooma Colors

One-time1
  • Chrooma Colors Pro$6.99

Questions

Is PigmentViewer free?
PigmentViewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chrooma Colors free?
Chrooma Colors is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PigmentViewer or Chrooma Colors have ads?
Neither PigmentViewer nor Chrooma Colors shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PigmentViewer or Chrooma Colors?
PigmentViewer ships an update every 2 months, and Chrooma Colors every 11 days. Most recently, PigmentViewer was updated on October 13, 2026 and Chrooma Colors on October 10, 2026.

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