Color Muse vs Erebus Solar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Color Muse
Instantly measure and match colors from any surface with a connected device. Access a vast library of paint colors from leading brands and find coordinating shades. A premium subscription unlocks custom paint formulation and redemption at select stores.
- Wireless color measurement
- Match colors from over 100K paint options
- Identify paint and product colors
- Custom paint formulation (subscription)
- Sheen and color detection
- Save and organize color palettes
- Cross-material color scanning
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Measure Color. Match with Confidence. Color Match Made Easy® Color Muse® is the ultimate companion app for professionals and DIYers who need fast, reliable, and accurate color matching. Wirelessly pair with any Color Muse device to instantly identify paint and product colors from over 100K colors from leading brands like Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, PPG, and many more. After wirelessly connecting your Color Muse, Color Muse SE, Color Muse 2, or Color Muse 3 device, the Color Muse app streamlines your color selection process for a faster and more confident color-matching experience. No more hassling with cumbersome fan decks, paint chips, or color swatches. Scan colors and find products that match, coordinate, and complement. ** Introducing Custom Color Matching with Plus Subscription ** A premium feature that allows you to create custom paint formulations from any scanned color and redeem them at Sherwin-Williams stores. With the Plus Subscription, you can customize color matching and create one-of-a-kind colors exclusively available made through Sherwin-Williams stores in the United States and Canada. Custom Color Matching is only available with the Color Muse 3 device. No more cutting paint samples. No more guesswork. Built for the jobsite and at home • Avoid cutting samples, patching walls, and repainting mistakes • Measure color and sheen directly from a smooth, non-metallic surface • Reduce extra trips to the store • Capture accurate results for interior and exterior surfaces • Ideal for homeowners and Pros who need accurate color measurement Here's how the Plus Subscription works 1. Connect your Color Muse 3 device 2. Scan any surface or inspiration 3. Create a custom paint match 4. Generate a QR Code 5. Redeem at a Sherwin-Williams store Subscription Details • Free through May 31, 2026 (Limited Time Offer) • Monthly: $4.99 • Annual: $49.99 Important Notes • Requires a Color Muse 3 to create custom color matches • Subscriptions are managed through your Apple account and are subject to their Terms • Custom Color Matching and QR Code redemption are available in the United States and Canada at Sherwin-Williams stores What you can do for free in the Color Muse App • Find the closest color from over 100,000 colors – Compare scans to top paint brands and product libraries from around the world. • Sheen + Color Matching (Color Muse 2 and 3 only) – Automatically detect and measure gloss at 60° and differentiate between matte, eg-shell, satin, semi-gloss, and high gloss finishes. • Save and Organize Colors – Create custom folders, share palettes, or export values for seamless integration into manufacturing, design, and QA workflows. • Cross-Material Accuracy – Scan across paint, plastics, fabrics, and even printed materials with industry-leading consistency. • Compact & Portable – All Color Muse devices are pocket-sized and Bluetooth-enabled for on-the-go use. • Project Folders & Notes – Store scanned colors in your folders and record notes or project details for future reference. • Share with Your Network – Easily share your saved colors with your connections through email or text. • Measure Color Instantly – Scan any surface to capture its precise color values in CIE Lab, HEX, RGB, LCH, CMYK, and more. PANTONE® and RAL In-App Purchases Available • Color Muse® + PANTONE® Color Subscription - Users can access more than 16,500 Pantone colors directly through the Color Muse® app when they subscribe to a Pantone Color Subscription. • Color Muse® + RAL Color Subscription - Subscribed users can access up to 1,800+ colors from RAL, including the RAL K5 and D2 collections. Pantone and RAL Subscriptions work with ALL Color Muse devices • Color Muse • Color Muse SE • Color Muse 2 • Color Muse 3
Erebus Solar
This app helps solar professionals measure on-site shade using their phone's sensors. It generates horizon files compatible with leading PV design software, aiding in accurate solar production estimates.
- AR sun path visualization
- Automatic sky capture
- Sky Editor for obstruction tracing
- Annual solar access analysis
- PDF shade report export
- Horizon file generation for design tools
- Project organization by site
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Measure shade on site with the hardware already in your pocket. Erebus Solar was designed by an electrical engineer and an architect with years of experience designing solar systems around the world. We were fed up with the horizon-finding hardware the industry still relies on: dedicated devices that haven't been meaningfully updated in decades, are slow to use and slow to find a GPS fix, and analog tools that need paper, a pencil and a latitude template that may not exist for your site. Erebus Solar is our answer. Your iPhone already has the camera, compass and sensors the job needs. WHY HORIZON FILES MATTER Far-field shading from trees, terrain and neighbouring buildings is one of the largest sources of error in a PV production estimate. A measured horizon profile, captured on site, lets your design software model that shading instead of guessing. Erebus Solar produces horizon files that leading PV design tools such as HelioScope and PVsyst read directly, and PV*SOL accepts the same convention. CAPTURE • AR sun path: today's arc, the solstice and equinox arcs and the live sun drawn over the real sky • Tap the real sun to calibrate the compass to true north • Automatic sky capture: sweep the envelope band and frames capture themselves, no buttons • Sky Editor: review the stitched sky and trace obstructions by hand, so the report reflects what you saw ANALYSE • Annual solar access and TSRF for each array area • Month-by-month charts and the sun-path chart with your obstructions • Aerial view with each area's boundary and the solar envelope over satellite imagery EXPORT • PDF shade report with your company name and logo • Horizon files for HelioScope, PVsyst and PV*SOL, generated from the same capture • Share straight from the phone ORGANISE • One project per site, located by address or GPS, with status from Created to Completed • Areas for each roof face or ground section • Everything stored on your iPhone: no account, no upload Erebus Solar's outputs are a design aid for qualified professionals. Results depend on the phone's sensors, compass calibration and sky conditions; check them against your own observations and your design tool's simulation before relying on them. Privacy Policy: https://erebussolar.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://erebussolar.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Color Muse at 4.8 against Erebus Solar's 3.7. Color Muse also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 0%) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 3). Erebus Solar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price 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
Both are free to download. Color Muse sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Erebus Solar asks for nothing beyond the download.
Color Muse holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Color Muse has 1.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Color Muse's written reviews are positive against 0% of Erebus Solar's.
Color Muse ships an update every 2 months, Erebus Solar every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Color Muse | Erebus Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 96 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Variable Technologies LLC | Todd Evans |
Customer experience
Color Muse
Erebus Solar
Bugs and requests
Color Muse
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to load catalog colors
- Scanning issues and force closes
- Comparison mode not working as expected
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to save scanned colors
- Integration with Pantone color system
- Apple Watch app for on-the-go use
Erebus Solar
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Color Muse
- Monthly$4.991 Month
- Plus (Sherwin-Williams)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Monthly$9.991 Month
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- Plus (Sherwin-Williams)7 Days trial$47.991 Year
- Annual$49.991 Year
- Annual$99.991 Year
Erebus Solar
No in-app purchases









