Collections Database vs Collectionist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Collections Database
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.
- 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)
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Collections is a personal database app to organize anything. 1. A field for every use Collections supports over 20+ field types: • Text, Number • Boolean • Picture • Select • Email, URL, Phone • Password • Date, Time • Color • Barcode And with the Pro version you can use even more advanced fields. • Document reference - Link documents together • Group - Add multiple values for a field • Formula - Create a formula for calculated values. Powerful formula editor with full support to math functions like SUM, AVG • Sources - Import documents from external APIs with Javascript 2. Customizable • Add and reorder fields • Add a separator between fields to better visualize them • Fields have different display styles like primary, secondary, thumbnail • Filter and sort data 3. Templates Collections includes basic templates to get started: • Books • Contacts • Expenses • Subscriptions • Credentials • Inventory • School 5. Advanced management Collections has different tools to help you creating the data model. SUBCOLLECTIONS Organize data into collections and subcollections. Simply said, they are like folders. LISTS A list contains items used in documents and it's very flexible. It could represent a Genre for a book or a Status like 'Available', 'Out of stock' for an object in the inventory. 6. Security • Protect collections using a password, Face ID or Touch ID • Sensitive data such as passwords are encrypted by default 7. iCloud Sync Data is synced automatically between devices through iCloud. 8. Apple's Shortcuts support Expand the app capabilities with Apple's Shortcuts support. 9. Pro version features • Add unlimited documents (free version is limited to 100 documents) • Add files to documents • Add advanced fields • Views • Grid • Use Summary to perform calculations across documents
Collectionist
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Collectionist is the calm, beautiful home for everything you collect: trading cards, vinyl, sneakers, LEGO, coins, comics, watches, games, art and anything else you love. CATALOG EVERYTHING • Add items in seconds: snap photos, or scan a barcode and let Collectionist fill in the details • Record what matters: condition, estimated value, purchase price, year, edition, tags and notes • Up to 4 photos per item on the free plan, up to 12 with Premium • Every photo is optimized and stripped of location data before upload ORGANIZE YOUR WAY • Group items into collections with covers, categories and descriptions • Keep a wishlist of the pieces you're still hunting • Track sets and series with checklists and see how close you are to completing them • Search across everything you own, instantly • Export all your items to CSV at any time, on every plan. Your data is always yours. SHARE AND CONNECT (OPTIONAL) • Keep collections private, or make them public to show them off • Follow other collectors and discover collections in Explore • Like and comment on collections and items • Message collectors directly, and choose who can message you • Report and block tools keep the community friendly START FREE The free plan includes 3 collections with up to 25 items each, 4 photos per item, basic stats and CSV export. No ads, and no time limit. COLLECTIONIST PREMIUM • Unlimited collections and unlimited items • Up to 12 photos per item • Custom fields: track serial numbers, grades, provenance, anything you like • Full stats and value insights: total value, what you paid, your top pieces • CSV import for existing spreadsheets • A Premium badge on your profile Premium is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription (the yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers). Prices are shown in the app and may vary by country. Subscription terms: Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically at the same price and period unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings at any time. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. If your plan ends, nothing is deleted: you keep everything you've added and can still export it. Terms of Use: https://collectionist-backend.web.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://collectionist-backend.web.app/privacy Support: https://collectionist-backend.web.app/support
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Collections Database at none against Collectionist's shown. Collections Database also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Collectionist's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Collections Database sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Collectionist sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Collections Database ships an update fortnightly, Collectionist weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Collections Database | Collectionist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (187 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 87.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 187 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matteo D'Ignazio | Nicolas Frugoni |
Bugs and requests
Collections Database
Reported bugs
2 issues- Keyboard issues when using search
- Inconsistent behavior between iOS and macOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Collaborative features for sharing databases
- More advanced reporting and visualization options
- Improved import/export functionality
- Ability to customize the appearance and layout
Collectionist
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Collections Database
- Collections Ultra (Upgrade)$1.99
- Collections Pro$7.99
- Collections Ultra$9.99
Collectionist
- Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is Collections Database free?
Is Collectionist free?
Do Collections Database or Collectionist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Collections Database or Collectionist?
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