# Collections Database vs Formbook

The clearest difference is update cadence: Formbook at every 4 days against Collections Database's fortnightly. Collections Database's advantage is ratings volume (187 vs 26) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Collections Database sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Formbook sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Collections Database against 4.5 for Formbook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Collections Database has 187 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Collections Database's written reviews are positive against 80% of Formbook's.

Collections Database ships an update fortnightly, Formbook every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Collections Database | Formbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (187 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collections-database/id1568395334/reviews)** | [4.5 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formbook/id1570038338/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **187** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | **87.3% of reviews** | 80.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matteo D'Ignazio](https://appshunter.io/developer/634863524) | [Mathieu Morgensztern](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439918443) |

## What reviewers say

### Collections Database

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collections-database/id1568395334)

Organize anything with a personal database app. It offers over 20 field types, customizable layouts, and pre-built templates for common uses like books or expenses. Advanced features and iCloud sync are available.

**Highlights:** 20+ field types (text, number, picture, barcode, etc.), Customizable fields and display styles, Pre-built templates (books, contacts, expenses, etc.), Organize with collections and subcollections, Password, Face ID, and Touch ID protection, iCloud synchronization across devices, Advanced fields and calculations (Pro version)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Collections Ultra (Upgrade) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Collections Pro | $7.99 | one-time |
| Collections Ultra | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Flexible and customizable
- 🚀 Powerful and feature-rich
- 💡 Excellent integration with Apple ecosystem
- 🔒 Secure and private data storage
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 📚 Lacking comprehensive documentation
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering capabilities
- 🔀 Difficulty moving/copying data between collections

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard issues when using search
- Inconsistent behavior between iOS and macOS versions

**Requested features**

- Collaborative features for sharing databases
- More advanced reporting and visualization options
- Improved import/export functionality
- Ability to customize the appearance and layout


### Formbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formbook/id1570038338)

This app allows you to create structured notes that function like database forms, saving you time and providing instant chart statistics. It supports collaboration, cross-device synchronization, and AI-powered form building with numerous field types.

**Highlights:** Form-based note creation, Instant chart statistics, Notebook sharing for collaboration, AI-powered automated form builder, 30+ form field types, Cross-device synchronization, Export to PDF and CSV

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notebook sharing | $3.99 | one-time |
| Additional fields pack | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🔄 Seamless cross-device synchronization
- 💰 One-time purchase with no subscription
- 🎨 Clean, native Apple design aesthetic
- 📊 Flexible field types and customization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited search functionality (no field-specific search)
- 🐛 Frequent crashes on macOS
- ⚠️ Slow performance with large datasets
- 📋 No table/spreadsheet view option
- 🔐 Lack of password protection

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on macOS Ventura and newer
- Crashes when validating fields in new notes
- Export functionality issues with CSV and PDF
- Barcode field scans but cannot search by barcode
- Star rating field too sensitive to accidental changes

**Requested features**

- Field-specific search functionality
- Advanced multi-criteria filtering
- Table/spreadsheet view for data
- Password/biometric app protection
- Rich text formatting (bold, italic, colors)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Collections Database free?

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

### Is Formbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Collections Database or Formbook?

Collections Database is rated higher. Collections Database averages 4.6 out of 5 from 187 ratings, while Formbook averages 4.5 from 26 ratings.

### Do Collections Database or Formbook have ads?

Neither Collections Database nor Formbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Collections Database or Formbook?

Collections Database ships an update fortnightly, and Formbook every 4 days. Most recently, Collections Database was updated on September 22, 2026 and Formbook on August 17, 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.*