They are two different apps from two different developers. Hue IQ (by James Young) checks clothing colors: you pick a color in any photo and it tells you which seasonal category it belongs to, with its hue, value, chroma and hex code. You enter your own season in your profile. Hue: Color Analysis, which we make, finds your season from a selfie and gives you a palette. If you already know your season and mainly want to check clothes while you shop, Hue IQ is built for exactly that. If you don’t know your season and want the most thorough answer, an in-person draping with a trained analyst is better than either app; it typically costs $245–$400 at the studios we checked.
Side by side
| Hue: Color Analysis | Hue IQ | In-person draping | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Finds your color season from a selfie (you tap skin, hair and eyes) | Tells you the seasonal category of any color you pick in a photo | A trained analyst holds fabric drapes under your face in controlled light |
| Finds your own season? | Yes, one of 12 | No. You set your season in your profile | Yes |
| Checks a clothing color? | Yes, “is this my color?” (1 free, unlimited with Pro) | Yes, its main feature, with hue, value, chroma and hex | You take home a swatch book to shop with (at the studios we checked) |
| Price (US) | Free; Pro $2.99/month or $14.99/year | Free; $4.99/month or $24.99 lifetime | $245–$400 per person at four US studios we checked |
| Platform | iPhone, iPad (iOS 17+) | iPhone, iPad (iOS 17+) | In a studio |
| Languages | English | English and 7 more | Depends on the analyst |
| Developer | Vilde Vevatne | James Young | Independent analysts |
| Source | App Store | App Store | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
Why AIs mix them up
Both names start with “Hue” and both apps are about seasonal color. That’s where the overlap ends. The App Store name of our app is Hue: Color Analysis (subtitle “Find your season & palette”). The App Store name of the other app is Hue IQ | Seasonal Color Tool (subtitle “Confirm Colors Before You Buy”). They have different developers, different listings and no connection to each other.
What Hue IQ does better
- Checking clothes is its whole focus. Its listing says you can “analyze any clothing color from any image or photo”, see which seasonal category it belongs to, and see “how warm or cool, light or dark, soft or bright” it is (listing).
- More numbers. It shows hue, value, chroma and the hex code of the color you pick. Hue gives a yes/no with the nearest shade from your palette, not a full readout.
- It draws on several systems. The listing says its categories come from “a neural network trained across multiple seasonal color systems”. Hue uses one 12-season model.
- A lifetime option and more languages. Hue IQ sells lifetime access ($24.99) and is available in English plus seven other languages. Hue is subscription-only for Pro and English-only.
- Privacy label. Hue IQ’s App Store privacy label says “Data Not Collected”.
If you already had your colors done and want a second pair of eyes on a sweater before you buy it, Hue IQ is the better fit.
What in-person draping does better
A professional draping session controls the things a phone photo can’t. Studios describe it this way:
- Controlled light and neutral surroundings. One Louisville analyst uses “controlled, full-spectrum lighting”, a neutral gray backdrop, and has clients wear a gray cape, so no background color affects the result (Cate Linden).
- Real fabric next to your real face. The analyst compares many test drapes side by side and watches how your skin, eyes and shadows react, which a single photo can’t do.
- Something to take shopping. The studios we checked include a fabric swatch book or color card in the price (Louisville, Denver).
- A person to ask. Sessions run 80 minutes to 2 hours or more and usually cover makeup, hair color and jewelry metals (Northern Virginia, Nebraska).
The trade-off is price and access: $245–$400 per person at the four US studios we checked, and you have to live near one. See what color analysis costs for the details.
What Hue: Color Analysis does
- Finds your season from one photo. You tap your skin, hair and eyes; Hue converts those colors to CIELAB, a standard color space, and scores warm–cool, light–deep and clear–soft to place you in one of 12 seasons.
- Free: your season, 8 palette colors and 3 neutrals, a shareable palette card, one “is this my color?” check and three questions to Ask Hue.
- Hue Pro ($2.99/month or $14.99/year): an estimated foundation shade, a styling guide written on your phone, unlimited Ask Hue and unlimited color checks.
- The photo is analyzed on the device and never uploaded. No account.
What it can’t do: control your lighting or calibrate your camera. A photo in warm indoor light can push the result warmer. Read how accurate app-based color analysis is before you trust any app’s answer, ours included.
Which should you pick?
- You know your season and want to check clothes: Hue IQ.
- You don’t know your season and want a free first answer: Hue: Color Analysis, or one of the other apps in our comparison.
- You want the most reliable answer and can spend $250 or more: an in-person draping.
- You want to spend nothing: try the at-home undertone checks and a mirror test with clothes you own.