Comparison

Plastic vs Record Buddy

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

Head to head
About

Plastic

Easily identify and organize your vinyl collection. Scan album covers or labels to get details, track ownership, and preview music. Discover pressing information and marketplace pricing for your records.

Highlights
  • Scan and identify vinyl records
  • Explore pressing details and pricing
  • Build and organize personal collection
  • Preview tracks via Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud
  • Wishlist for desired records
  • Crate-digging companion for stores
Features
Read full description

Organize your vinyl/CD records collection in full sync with Discogs: • SCAN & IDENTIFY: Point your camera at any album. Plastic uses advanced image recognition to identify even rare pressings. • EXPLORE EVERY DETAIL: Pre-listen to songs, explore pressing information. See which versions exist, compare marketplace pricing, and understand the rarity of the record. • BUILD YOUR COLLECTION: Add scanned records to your personal collection with one tap. Browse everything you own in one place, organized and easy to navigate. Keep a wishlist for records you are still hunting for. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://myplastic.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://myplastic.app/privacy

About

Record Buddy

Features
Read full description

Record Buddy is a vinyl catalog for people who keep records. YOUR WHOLE SHELF Your collection sorts itself into crates by genre. Tap one and dig through it. Search by artist, album or genre, and see every pressing you own rather than one generic entry per album. SCAN IT, OR TYPE IT IN Scan a barcode, photograph a cover, or type it in by hand — however the record got to your shelf, it gets into your collection. Every copy keeps its own detail: the pressing year as distinct from the album's original release, the pressing country, the label, the catalog number, the packaging and the condition. Barcode scanning validates the code, confirms it across consecutive frames, and searches Discogs, MusicBrainz and Apple's catalog when needed. Cover recognition starts on-device by reading the sleeve and comparing likely artwork. If that is not enough, you can choose an online visual match; Record Buddy then shows the most likely releases so you can pick the right pressing instead of accepting a guess. Private presses, small labels and anything older than barcodes can still be added by hand — every field, including the tracklist. KNOW WHAT'S WORTH REPLACING Grade every copy against the Goldmine standard, then filter your shelf down to the copies that need upgrading. BRING YOUR DISCOGS COLLECTION Connect Discogs to import what you already have and to save new finds back to your account. Connecting is optional — it only changes where records come from, never where they're kept. WORKS OFFLINE Browse and edit in the basement, at the fair, anywhere. Changes sync when you're back on a network. FREE, AND WHAT'S PAID Free: up to 75 albums, Discogs sync, offline access. Library Unlock (one-time): unlimited albums, custom tags and crates, CSV and JSON export. AI Pro Collector (monthly subscription): unlimited albums plus 75 AI condition-grading scans per month. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period; manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Plastic4 screens
Record Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

Plastic and Record Buddy are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Plastic sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Record Buddy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Plastic versus Record Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlasticRecord Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrii LiashchukAllan Thompson

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Plastic

Subscriptions6
  • Plastic Pro2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Plastic Pro2 variants$23.991 Year
  • Plastic Pro1 Year trial$23.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Plastic Pro7 Days trial$23.991 Year
  • Plastic Pro1 Month trial$23.991 Year
  • Plastic Pro3 Days trial$23.991 Year
One-time1
  • Plastic Pro Lifetime$149.99
3 purchases

Record Buddy

Subscriptions2
  • AI Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • AI Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Library Unlock$9.99

Questions

Is Plastic free?
Plastic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Record Buddy free?
Record Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Plastic or Record Buddy have ads?
Neither Plastic nor Record Buddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plastic or Record Buddy?
Plastic ships an update every 4 days, and Record Buddy every 4 days. Most recently, Plastic was updated on October 25, 2026 and Record Buddy on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons