Comparison

Additives vs Open Additives

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

Head to head
About

Additives

Features
Read full description

Do you really know what's in the food you eat? Food Additives helps you read labels with confidence. Search an E number or an additive name and instantly find out what it's for and whether it carries any risk. The database covers more than 300 food additives, each with: β€’ E number and name β€’ Function (color, preservative, emulsifier…) β€’ Harmfulness and possible health risks β€’ ADI, the Acceptable Daily Intake KEY FEATURES β€’ Complete list with fast search β€’ Clear, easy-to-read entries β€’ Favorites: save the additives you check most often β€’ Available in 22 languages β€” pick yours in Settings β€’ Works offline, no connection needed Keep the app handy while you shop and make more informed choices about what you bring to the table. This information is for general guidance only and is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice.

About

Open Additives

Features
Read full description

Find out what’s behind the e-numbers in your food. This intuitive app provides detailed information on food additives, helping you make informed choices about what you eat. Besides that, you can use your camera to scan any ingredient list or a barcode, and the app will automatically extract the e-numbers to give you insights on the e-numbers you are about to ingest!

Screenshots

Additives4 screens
Open Additives4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Open Additives at Free against Additives's $1.99. Open Additives also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 31 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Open Additives is free to download; Additives costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Additives ships an update every 31 months, Open Additives every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Additives versus Open Additives: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAdditivesOpen Additives
Price$1.99Free β€” better
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsEvery 2 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size2 MB118 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarco TiniPierre Bresson

In-app purchases

None

Additives

No in-app purchases

None

Open Additives

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Additives free?
Additives costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Open Additives free?
Open Additives is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Additives or Open Additives have ads?
Neither Additives nor Open Additives shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Additives or Open Additives?
Additives ships an update every 31 months, and Open Additives every 2 weeks. Most recently, Additives was updated on September 22, 2026 and Open Additives on September 16, 2026.

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