Comparison

Spool Buddy vs Spool Programmer

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

Head to head
About

Spool Buddy

Effortlessly manage your 3D printing filament inventory. Track brands, colors, and usage with a simple, fast interface. Syncs seamlessly across Apple devices without requiring logins or network calls.

Highlights
  • iCloud syncing
  • No logins or network calls
  • Track brands, colors, and modifiers
  • Search and filter by properties
  • Usage and inventory tracking
  • Optimized for iOS and macOS
Features
Read full description

Filament tracking for 3D printing, without the fuss. Spool Buddy is a simple, fast filament inventory app made for hobbyists who want to know what filament they have, where it is, and how much is left — without accounts, subscriptions, tracking, or complicated setup. Add your filaments, organize them by brand, material, color, location, modifiers, and more. Track usage across one or multiple spools, keep drying logs, attach photos, archive old filament, and export or print your inventory when you need it. Spool Buddy syncs with iCloud, so your filament library stays up to date across iPhone, iPad, and Mac without creating an account. Features include: - Track filament inventory, usage, and remaining amounts - Multi-spool support for filaments - NFC reading and writing - iCloud sync with no logins - Photos for filament entries - Drying logs - Custom brands and materials - Detailed filament information, including colors, polymers, modifiers, fillers, and visual properties - Automatic color names and color family filtering - Support for gradients and complex filament colors - Filter by storage location, brand, color family, modifiers, and polymer - Sort by price, date added, color, brand, and name - Group by brand or material - Usage indicators at a glance - Archive filaments you no longer actively use - Export your inventory to CSV - Print your filament inventory - Optimized for iOS and macOS 26 - Small, fast, and designed to stay out of your way Spool Buddy is completely free to use. There are no subscriptions, no locked features, and no required purchases. In-app purchases are optional tips only, for people who want to support the app’s development. Made by an indie solo developer for people who just want a clean, useful way to manage their filament.

About

Spool Programmer

This app allows users to program RFID tags for 3D printing filament spools. It supports various filament types and spool sizes, offering features like reading existing tags, checking memory, and custom color selection. All processing is done on-device for privacy and security.

Highlights
  • Write filament data to NTAG215/216 tags
  • 18 pre-configured filament profiles
  • Read and verify existing tags
  • Check tag status and memory
  • Format tags for programming
  • Custom color selection
  • Support for various spool sizes
Features
Read full description

Transform your 3D printing workflow with Spool Programmer, the essential tool for programming RFID tags on your filament spools. Whether you're using Anycubic printers or building your own filament management system, this app makes tag programming simple, fast, and reliable. POWERFUL FEATURES • Write complete filament data to NTAG215/216 tags in seconds • 18 pre-configured profiles covering all major filament types • Read existing tags to verify or clone configurations • Check tag status and memory layout • Format tags for fresh programming • Custom color selection with RGB sliders and 16 presets • Support for 500g, 1kg, and 2kg spool sizes • Configurable print temperatures (nozzle, bed, chamber) FILAMENT TYPES SUPPORTED PLA, PLA+, PLA Matte, PLA Silk, PETG, ABS, TPU, Nylon, ASA, PC, PVA, HIPS, and BVOH. Each profile includes optimized default temperatures that you can customize. INTUITIVE INTERFACE Beautiful card-based design that guides you through every step. Select your filament type, choose a color, adjust temperatures, and write—all in a clean, modern interface that follows Apple's design guidelines. SMART & SAFE • Automatic detection of write-protected tags • Clear error messages with helpful guidance • Validates tag compatibility before writing • Preview data before committing to tag • No account required, no tracking, no ads PERFECT FOR • Makers managing multiple filament spools • 3D printing enthusiasts with Anycubic printers • Anyone building custom filament management systems • Hackerspaces and makerspaces • Professional print farms TECHNICAL DETAILS Supports standard NTAG215 and NTAG216 NFC tags with 144-byte user memory. Uses the same data format as the ACE-RFID project, ensuring compatibility with existing ecosystems. All processing happens on-device—your data never leaves your iPhone. REQUIREMENTS iPhone 7 or later with NFC capability running iOS 16.0 or later. You'll need blank NTAG215 or NTAG216 tags (widely available online). Note: Pre-programmed manufacturer tags may be write-protected. FREE & OPEN Based on the community-driven ACE-RFID project. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no data collection. Built by makers, for makers. Start programming your filament tags today and take control of your 3D printing workflow!

Screenshots

Spool Buddy4 screens
Spool Programmer2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Spool Programmer at 5.0 against Spool Buddy's 4.3. Spool Programmer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Spool Buddy's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and ratings volume (9 vs 3). On price, review sentiment and ads 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. Spool Buddy sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Spool Programmer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spool Programmer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spool Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, Spool Programmer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Spool Buddy versus Spool Programmer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpool BuddySpool Programmer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (9 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.216.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartian Code OyMartin Bogomolni

Customer experience

Spool Buddy

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Spool Programmer

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Spool Buddy

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
None

Spool Programmer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spool Buddy free?
Spool Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spool Programmer free?
Spool Programmer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spool Buddy or Spool Programmer?
Spool Programmer is rated higher. Spool Buddy averages 4.3 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Spool Programmer averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Spool Buddy or Spool Programmer have ads?
Neither Spool Buddy nor Spool Programmer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spool Buddy or Spool Programmer?
Spool Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and Spool Programmer every 5 days. Most recently, Spool Buddy was updated on September 8, 2026 and Spool Programmer on September 18, 2026.

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