Model Paint 42 vs Hobby Codex
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Model Paint 42
A comprehensive database of over 9500 paints from 29 manufacturers for modelers and artists. Easily search, compare equivalent colors across brands, and manage your paint stock. Create custom lists and add notes for efficient organization.
- Extensive paint database (9500+ paints)
- 29 manufacturer support
- Cross-brand color equivalents
- Customizable paint lists
- Stock management
- Search by color, name, code, finish, type
- Notes and sorting options
Read full descriptionHide full description
A database of over 9500 paints from 29 manufacturers designed for modellers and artists. Whether you paint or build model aircraft, ships, railway, cars, trucks, boats, figures, wargames (in fact anything!) this database is for you. Contains paints from: - Abteilung - AK Interactive - Akan - Alclad - Ammo by Mig - Andrea - Army Painter - Badger - Citadel - Floquil - Hataka - Humbrol - Italeri - LifeColor - Meng - Mig - Mission Models - Model Master - Monument - Mr Hobby - Privateer Press - Railmatch - Reaper - Revell - Scale75 - Tamiya - Testors - Vallejo - Winsor & Newton You can turn each manufacturer and range (e.g. Humbrol enamel) on or off at any time so that you see only the lists you want. You can save your own views so that you can set the lists you want to see and the order you want to see them quickly. You can see details of each paint plus equivalent colours from all the included ranges. Or you can select to see equivalents from only the ranges you have switched on, the same medium or the same finish. You can search across all the paints by colour, name, code, manufacturer, finish (e.g. gloss, matt), paint type (e.g. acrylic, enamel) and paints you have in stock. You can create your own lists from any paints in the database. You can lock the lists (to save accidental changes) and these lists can be set as stock lists (you have these paints). You can make notes against the list itself or the individual colours and you can sort the lists and colours any way you want. Paints you have added to any of your stock lists are indicated in the ranges, the equivalents and the search results so you can see what paints you have when you do a search. Saves a lot of wasted money buying the same colours twice and handy when you go shopping (you can have a shopping list too)! An invaluable reference database for any artist or modeller.
Hobby Codex
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.
- Catalog miniatures
- Save paint recipes
- Manage paint inventory
- Track project progress
- Log painting sessions
- Built-in paint catalog
Read full descriptionHide full description
Hobby Codex is a mobile app for miniature painters. It keeps your collection, paints, color schemes, projects, and painting journal in one place. Once boxes start piling up, notes get scattered, and you can no longer remember which paints or steps were planned, it becomes hard to keep track. Hobby Codex helps you follow a miniature from the box to the finished model. Start by scanning a box Scan its barcode, or search by name, to find its contents and add its miniatures to your collection in a few taps. No need to enter every reference one by one. The catalogue also lets you browse available factions and boxes. This feature is available with a subscription. You can also add a miniature manually, whether it comes from a box that is not in the catalogue or is a custom reference. Organize your collection Track the miniatures you own or want to buy, along with their assembly and painting progress. Add your own photos, notes, and details to keep a useful record of every model. Plan your painting - create color schemes; - break a miniature down into parts and painting steps; - keep track of the paints and techniques you use; - see which pots are missing from your inventory. Move your projects forward Group related miniatures into projects or campaigns. Track their progress and keep a clear view of what remains to be done. Keep a record of your sessions The journal records your painting sessions: time spent, miniatures worked on, calendar, and progress over time. Pick up where you left off without having to reconstruct your plans. Your collection stays on your device by default. If you create an account, you can choose to back up your data and photos to the cloud and restore them on another device. Hobby Codex is available in French and English, with no ads. Catalogue subscription Tracking features are free. Access to the box catalogue requires an account and a Hobby Codex Catalogue subscription, monthly or yearly, that renews automatically. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://nicolaslabrousse.github.io/hobby-codex-legal/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Hobby Codex at Free against Model Paint 42's $1.99. Hobby Codex also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Model Paint 42's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (15 vs 2). On ads, monetization model and device support 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
Hobby Codex is free to download; Model Paint 42 costs $1.99 up front. Hobby Codex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Model Paint 42 asks for nothing beyond the download.
Hobby Codex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Model Paint 42 has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Model Paint 42's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hobby Codex's.
Model Paint 42 ships an update every 3 months, Hobby Codex every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Model Paint 42 | Hobby Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Points Align | Labrousse Nicolas |
Customer experience
Model Paint 42
Hobby Codex
Bugs and requests
Model Paint 42
Reported bugs
12 issues- Comparisons between paints are not totally accurate
- Mistakes in the paint list with colors
- New ranges can’t go into my lists
- Can’t Add Notes to Colors in List
- No clear way to close the keyboard
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Keyboard covers 'Add to List' button
- Cannot move between screens
- Colors added to lists are not linked
- Search function is junk
- Search function is not intuitive
- Data does not synchronize between devices
- App is clunky in navigation
Requested features
72 requests- Update with recent paints
- Improve accuracy of paint comparisons
- Add ability to make corrections or add missing colors
- Restore general search function
- Search based on FS number
Show 67 moreShow fewer
- Add Humbrol acrylics
- Include AK Real Colours Air paints
- Add missing paint ranges (e.g., Humbrol, AK Real Colours)
- Allow users to add missing colors or make corrections
- Add new ranges to user lists
- Include Hannants paints (Xtracolour, Xtracrylic)
- Allow adding notes to colors in lists
- Clear way to close keyboard when adding notes
- Update for more recent paints
- Add Polly Scale, Vallejo 'Nocturna', Citadel Contrast Paints, old Citadel Inks
- Add Winsor Newton oils
- Add Gunze Mr Aqueous Color
- Include newer colors from different brands
- Dedicated iPad display
- Add MiG colors
- Update paint ranges
- Complete Vallejo lines
- Add Privateer Press, Reaper, Andrea, Scale75, Wargames Foundry, Coat d’arms, Colour party paints
- Add artist paint ranges (e.g., Windsor & Newton, Daler Rowney)
- Track old Humbrol codes
- Add Hataka paints
- Add Ammo and Mr Hobbies
- Add weathering paints
- Add Vallejo Game Air, Army Painter Zombicide colors
- Search by RLM numbers
- Add P3, Foundation, Reaper, Citadel paints
- Add newer Citadel paints
- Add Foundry and P3 paints
- Update with new Humbrol & Tamiya paints
- Improve collection tool usability
- Allow moving between screens
- Link colors added to lists
- Improve similar color reference
- Add AK Interactive paints
- Show equivalences with paint mixtures
- Add Vallejo pigments
- Add Andrea acrylics
- Add Vallejo Game Color
- Add spray paints (e.g., Tamiya TS- series)
- Add Testor paints
- Improve interface
- Improve search function
- Add scale color tools
- Allow data synchronization between devices
- Allow users to add custom swatches
- Show 'highlight of', 'shade of', 'complimentary colour to' relationships
- Allow sharing inventories between users
- Add ability to add notes to colors
- Add ability to select multiple paints and add to list
- Add shopping list feature
- Allow comparison of colors side-by-side
- Add RGB listing for colors
- Allow transfer of database to other devices
- Add barcode scanning for search
- Allow users to create their own entries
- Add ability to organize user lists by name, number, etc.
- Add drag and drop for adding paints to lists
- Add default list option
- Add ability to see several colors at the same time for comparison
- Add Xtracolour and Xtracrylic paints
- Add ability to share lists
- Use camera to match colors
- Add shopping list feature
- Enhance with more brands
- Add modeling tools (e.g., pliers, tweezers, brushes)
- Improve equivalences
- Add Vallejo paint charts
Hobby Codex
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Model Paint 42
No in-app purchases
Hobby Codex
- Box Catalog$2.991 Month
- Box Catalog$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Model Paint 42 free?
Is Hobby Codex free?
Which has better reviews, Model Paint 42 or Hobby Codex?
Do Model Paint 42 or Hobby Codex have ads?
Which is updated more often, Model Paint 42 or Hobby Codex?
Other comparisons















