Comparison

MiniPainterDB vs Hobby Codex

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

Head to head
About

MiniPainterDB

Features
Read full description

MiniPainterDB puts over 3,000 miniature paints in your pocket: Citadel Colour, Vallejo, The Army Painter, Scale75 and Duncan, side by side. Find any paint by name, code, reference number or colour. Open it to see how light it is, which way it leans, and explore complete shading and highlighting scales. Swap it for the closest match from another brand, with a percentage to back it up. Find the colours that work with it. Keep a library of the paints you own and a wishlist of the ones you want. Share any paint with a link. Built by a painter, for the painting table.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Catalog miniatures
  • Save paint recipes
  • Manage paint inventory
  • Track project progress
  • Log painting sessions
  • Built-in paint catalog
Features
Read 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

MiniPainterDB4 screens
Hobby Codex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hobby Codex at every 5 days against MiniPainterDB's every 6 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MiniPainterDB ships an update every 6 months, Hobby Codex every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MiniPainterDB versus Hobby Codex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMiniPainterDBHobby Codex
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQuentin Beau de LomenieLabrousse Nicolas

In-app purchases

None

MiniPainterDB

No in-app purchases

None

Hobby Codex

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MiniPainterDB free?
MiniPainterDB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hobby Codex free?
Hobby Codex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MiniPainterDB or Hobby Codex have ads?
Neither MiniPainterDB nor Hobby Codex shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MiniPainterDB or Hobby Codex?
MiniPainterDB ships an update every 6 months, and Hobby Codex every 5 days. Most recently, MiniPainterDB was updated on October 16, 2026 and Hobby Codex on October 12, 2026.

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