# BackBar Pro vs Color Formula Vault

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BackBar Pro at none against Color Formula Vault's 2. BackBar Pro also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 1). Color Formula Vault's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Color Formula Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. BackBar Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BackBar Pro against 5.0 for Color Formula Vault. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BackBar Pro has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BackBar Pro ships an update every 10 days, Color Formula Vault every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BackBar Pro | Color Formula Vault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backbar-pro/id6790622991/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-formula-vault/id6794378357/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 117 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Backbar HQ LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790622993) | [Color Formula Vault LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6794378359) |

## What reviewers say

### BackBar Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backbar-pro/id6790622991)

Manage client information, hair formulas, and appointments for your salon business. Streamline booking, payments, and track expenses and income to understand your business's financial health.

**Highlights:** Unlimited client profiles with history, Digital intake forms and waivers, Formula vault for color mixing, Online booking page, Integrated payment processing, Expense and income tracking, Appointment reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Color Formula Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-formula-vault/id6794378357)

This app helps hairstylists and colorists quickly save, organize, and retrieve precise hair color formulas for each client. It includes a scale calculator for accurate mixing and allows for the addition of before-and-after photos to build a visual history.

**Highlights:** Save client hair color formulas, Organize by brand, shade, developer, Add before-and-after photos, Instant formula retrieval, Built-in scale calculator, One-handed use for chairside efficiency

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CVF Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| CVF Pro | $89.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BackBar Pro free?

BackBar Pro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Color Formula Vault free?

Color Formula Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BackBar Pro or Color Formula Vault?

BackBar Pro and Color Formula Vault are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do BackBar Pro or Color Formula Vault have ads?

Neither BackBar Pro nor Color Formula Vault shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BackBar Pro or Color Formula Vault?

BackBar Pro ships an update every 10 days, and Color Formula Vault every 2 days. Most recently, BackBar Pro was updated on October 24, 2026 and Color Formula Vault on October 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*