Report updated May 13, 2026

TL;DR:Color Name AR captures the niche utility market for color identification, but its lack of update cadence since early 2024 leaves it vulnerable to competitors that integrate AR into broader design workflows. Users feel Excited, praising intuitive interface design but frustrated by stagnant update cadence. Color Name AR provides a reliable utility for color identification, but its lack of monetization and stagnant update cadence leaves it vulnerable to more active design-workflow competitors, so the PM should prioritize a monetization strategy to fund necessary feature parity..|TL;DR:Color Name AR captures the niche utility market for color identification, but its lack of update cadence since early 2024 leaves it vulnerable to competitors that integrate AR into broader design workflows. Users feel Excited, praising intuitive interface design but frustrated by stagnant update cadence. Color Name AR provides a reliable utility for color identification, but its lack of monetization and stagnant update cadence leaves it vulnerable to more active design-workflow competitors, so the PM should prioritize a monetization strategy to fund necessary feature parity..
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Color Name AR is a well-regarded utilities app that is completely free. With a 4.4/5 rating from 8.2K reviews, it maintains solid user satisfaction. Users particularly appreciate intuitive interface design, though stagnant update cadence remains a common concern.

What is Color Name AR?

Color Name AR is a utility app for identifying colors and Pantone schemes via camera input on iOS.

Users hire the app to bridge the gap between physical color observation and digital color standards for home improvement projects.

Current Momentum

v3.3 · 28mo ago

Zombie
  • No feature updates since early 2024.
  • Maintains stable user rating.
AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Active Nemesis

Fragmented niche

No dominant direct rival identified yet — see Other Rivals below.

Other Rivals

PlanKit - Floor plan creator
pCon.box
Glass & Island  - Custom Notch
Theme Store: widget changer

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Utilities

No ranking data

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User MoodAI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?

Loading...

What Are The Key Features?

Live View color recognitionDifferentiator

Real-time identification of colors via camera input using the integrated recognition engine.

Pantone color scheme assistantDifferentiator

Built-in reference tool for Pantone color standards to assist in paint and decor selection.

Color database searchStandard

Access to a comprehensive library of color names and visual representations.

How much does it cost?

Free
  • Free access to all features

The app operates as a free utility with no visible subscription or IAP gates.

Who Built It?

Utilities

Enrichment in progress

Publisher profile available very soon

What other apps does Vlad Polyanskiy make?

Light Meter - lux measurement tool

Light Meter - lux measurement tool

Utilidades

Шумомер - шум под контролем

Шумомер - шум под контролем

Утилиты

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

dB Meter & Spectrum Analyzer

Utilities

Audio Spectrum Analyzer Pro

Audio Spectrum Analyzer Pro

Music

What do users think recently?

High confidence · Latest 100 of 8.2K total reviews analyzed

How did the latest release land?

Overall
4.4/ 5
(8.2K)
Current version
4.4/ 5
0.0 vs overall
(8.2K)
Main signal post-update: intuitive interface design.

What is the recent mood?

Excited

Recent user voice shows a excited sentiment. Users appreciate intuitive interface design, but report stagnant update cadence.

What Users Love

Intuitive interface design

What Frustrates Users

Stagnant update cadence

What is the competitive landscape for Color Name AR?

How's The Utilities Market?

How does it evolve in the Utilities market?

Color Name AR maintains a 4.39 rating across over 8,000 reviews, yet the lack of updates since early 2024 signals a shift toward maintenance-only status.

ChartRankChange
iOSGrossing#38NEW

The rivals identified

Peers

Integrates automated measurement calculations that provide functional value beyond simple color identification tools.

Supports multi-format export options, allowing users to move their AR-generated plans into professional architectural software.

Provides professional-grade OFML data access for furniture, targeting B2B users rather than casual consumers.

Features robust smart sharing capabilities that facilitate collaborative design workflows between clients and professionals.

Offers advanced screen masking and Dynamic Island customization features absent in Color Name AR.

Maintains a significantly higher update cadence, ensuring compatibility with the latest iOS design trends.

Theme Store: widget changer

Theme Store: widget changer

2.3 (14)

Luan Tran Minh

This app competes for the same user base interested in aesthetic customization and visual utility tools for their mobile devices.

Monetizes through an unlimited install membership model, contrasting with the free-to-use utility focus of Color Name.

Includes video-based installation guides that simplify the complex process of applying custom themes and icons.

The outtake for Color Name AR

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Pantone integration provides industry-standard utility
  • Simple interface lowers barrier for DIY users

Critical Frictions

  • No update since early 2024
  • No monetization model restricts R&D
  • No cloud-sync for saved palettes

Growth Levers

  • Integrate AR measurement to compete with PlanKit
  • Introduce B2B tier for professional designers

Market Threats

  • High update cadence of rivals like Glass & Island
  • Lack of feature parity with professional visualization tools

What are the next best moves?

highInvest

Implement subscription model for professional features because current free-only model limits R&D budget → increase revenue

The app lacks any monetization, preventing the funding of necessary feature updates.

Trade-off: Pause non-essential UI tweaks to focus engineering on payment gateway integration.

mediumPivot

Ship cloud-sync for saved palettes because users lack cross-device persistence → increase retention

Users require saved data to persist across devices for home improvement workflows.

Trade-off: Deprioritize new color database additions to focus on backend sync infrastructure.

A counter-intuitive read

The lack of monetization is not a feature for users but a systemic failure that prevents the app from evolving into a professional design tool.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Automated measurement calculations (available in PlanKit)
  • Multi-format export options (available in PlanKit)
  • Professional-grade OFML data access (available in pCon.box)

Key Takeaways

Color Name AR provides a reliable utility for color identification, but its lack of monetization and stagnant update cadence leaves it vulnerable to more active design-workflow competitors, so the PM should prioritize a monetization strategy to fund necessary feature parity.

Where Is It Heading?

Stable

The market for design utilities is consolidating around tools that offer integrated workflows rather than single-purpose identification. Color Name AR remains stable but risks obsolescence as competitors add measurement and export capabilities.

The lack of updates since early 2024 suggests the app is in maintenance mode, which will lead to gradual user attrition.

Disclosure

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. See methodology.

Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Color Name AR, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

Hope this helps & keep building! · Found an error?

What's new in this report

The app's competitive outlook has shifted from a focus on fixing intrusive monetization to a critique of its stagnant development and lack of a revenue model.

shifted

Overall sentiment improvement

shifted

Monetization strategy pivot

added

New competitive threats

shifted

Competitive landscape expansion

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Color Name AR Intelligence Report.” Updated May 13, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/color-name-ar

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Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0