Comparison

Dead Format vs Vinyl Portfolio

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

Head to head
About

Dead Format

Organize your vinyl records, buy and sell them in a dedicated marketplace, and explore a comprehensive archive of pressing details. Connect with a community of fellow vinyl lovers.

Highlights
  • Vinyl collection cataloging
  • Vinyl marketplace for buying/selling
  • Pressing information archive
  • Connect with vinyl enthusiasts
  • Browse community profiles
Features
Read full description

Dead Format is a community for vinyl collectors to share what they're listening to, talk about records, connect with fellow collectors, and more! Post what you're spinning, show off your latest pickups or listening setup, take part in monthly Vinyl Challenges, join conversations in the forums, organize your collection, find record stores, and buy and sell vinyl. One of the main features of Dead Format is the Home feed, and it works more like old-school social media. There's no weird algorithm deciding what you should see. The Following feed shows you every post from everyone you follow, in order, so you can actually keep up with what they're sharing. You can also browse the Discover tab whenever you want to see more popular posts and highlights from what's being shared by the rest of the community. Every month, there's a new Vinyl Challenge with a different prompt each day. Join in whenever you want, share a record that fits the day's prompt, browse everyone else's choices, and discover some new records and collectors along the way. The forums are a place for longer conversations, questions, recommendations, polls, and anything else that doesn't really fit into a regular post. Keep track of your collection and Want List, filter your records by artist, format, and more, upload your own photos, and track how often you're playing each record. You can even scrobble your spins to Last.fm. You can also find record stores near you or browse stores in other cities, save your favorites, tag them when you post about a recent visit or pickup, and help contribute any stores that might be missing. There's a Marketplace too, built around listings with real photos of the records being sold. Buyers can make offers, see shipping costs before checkout, and pay directly through the app. Sellers can list individual records or bundles, manage offers, and purchase discounted USPS shipping labels.

About

Vinyl Portfolio

Easily catalog your vinyl record collection, track its market value, and discover new music. Capture detailed pressing information and get personalized recommendations. Built for serious listeners who appreciate the nuances of their collection.

Highlights
  • Catalog every pressing with detailed variant information
  • Track real-time market value from Discogs and eBay
  • Create wishlists with target prices and standout listings
  • Receive AI-curated music recommendations (PRO)
  • Visually showcase every variant and cover art
  • Searchable interface for serious listeners
Features
Read full description

Vinyl Portfolio treats your record collection like the asset it is. Start from a barcode, a cover photo, or a catalog number, then confirm the exact pressing you own and track what it's worth. COLLECT • Search by barcode, catalog number, artist and title, or start from a cover photo • Pressing-level detail: colored variants, splatters, picture discs, limited editions, obi strips, test pressings • Every variant rendered as the disc you own, from coke-bottle teal to oxblood, smoky marble, galaxy and liquid-filled, with real pressing photos used where they exist • Import your existing collection from a Discogs export or any CSV TRACK • Market values built from public marketplace data, refreshed as new sales appear • Portfolio view with value history, 30-day movement, and your top records • Condition-aware estimates from M to G • Wishlist with target prices, and a notification when a copy reaches yours ARCHIVE • Cloud sync across devices with sign-in via Apple, Google, or email • Your collection is private by default, no ads, no data selling, no cross-app tracking • Browse your saved collection offline; searches, identification and pricing need a connection • Export your collection whenever you want, in a portable format FREE AND PRO A free account has no collection limit. It starts with 15 wishlist records and 3 scans a day, and earns more wishlist spots as you unlock achievement medals. Every record's value, and the value at every grade, is free. Pro removes the wishlist and scan limits and adds the market detail for every record: recent market activity, live listings for sale, how fast a pressing moves, the full-year chart and price alerts, plus AI-curated recommendations and app icon customization. Pro follows your account wherever you sign in. Values are estimates based on public marketplace data, not appraisals. Built by a collector, for collectors. Questions or ideas? support@vinylportfolio.com Terms of Use: https://vinylportfolio.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://vinylportfolio.com/privacy

Screenshots

Dead Format4 screens
Vinyl Portfolio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dead Format at 100% against Vinyl Portfolio's 50%. Dead Format also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Vinyl Portfolio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Dead Format asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dead Format holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Format has 112 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Dead Format's written reviews are positive against 50% of Vinyl Portfolio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Format ships an update every 6 days, Vinyl Portfolio every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dead Format versus Vinyl Portfolio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead FormatVinyl Portfolio
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (112 ratings) — better3.9 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings112 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB53 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperDead Format LLCMAX HUNTER ROSENTHAL

Customer experience

Dead Format

All ratings112 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Vinyl Portfolio

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Dead Format

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Vinyl Portfolio

Subscriptions2
  • Vinyl Portfolio Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Vinyl Portfolio Pro Annual$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Vinyl Portfolio Pro — Eternal$99.99

Questions

Is Dead Format free?
Dead Format is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vinyl Portfolio free?
Vinyl Portfolio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dead Format or Vinyl Portfolio?
Dead Format is rated higher. Dead Format averages 5.0 out of 5 from 112 ratings, while Vinyl Portfolio averages 3.9 from 9 ratings.
Do Dead Format or Vinyl Portfolio have ads?
Neither Dead Format nor Vinyl Portfolio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dead Format or Vinyl Portfolio?
Dead Format ships an update every 6 days, and Vinyl Portfolio every 8 days. Most recently, Dead Format was updated on October 19, 2026 and Vinyl Portfolio on October 12, 2026.

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