Color Grabber vs Datacolor Spyder

Color Grabber is a Windows utility that copies the color beneath the cursor to the clipboard in a configured format. Hexadecimal is the default, and CSS rgb[a] is also available. It can copy a paint swatch rather than a color string; the default swatch size is 64. A system crosshair cursor can be used for pixel-accurate selection in the two-step selection process. When clipboard watching is enabled, the window updates to show valid colors found on the clipboard. The preview targets four frames per second by default, and visible color notifications are enabled by default. Color Grabber is included in the Color Grabber, Capture and Clipboard Utilities, Simplode Suite Complete, and Simplode Free Select packages. The free Simplode Free Select option costs nothing and allows one premium feature or feature set at a time; the selection can change once every 24 hours. The download page describes a 24-hour premium-feature trial that can be renewed up to three times. Simplode Suite supports Windows 10 and may partially work on older Windows versions. The maker describes its download as around 10 megabytes.

Datacolor Spyder is a paid display-calibration product for professional photographers and advanced photo editing. Its hardware sensor connects through USB-C, with a USB-A adapter included, while software calibrates LCD, mini-LED, OLED and QD-OLED monitors, including Apple XDR and Liquid Retina displays. Room Light Monitoring measures the room’s light and can warn when recalibration is needed or adjust profiles automatically according to the light level. DevicePreview shows how photos may appear on mobile devices while they remain on the calibrated monitor. A full-screen comparison shows the display before and after calibration, with 11 brightness settings. The comparison table lists unlimited supported displays, subject to computer capability. Spyder supports Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 10.14 through macOS 26, and requires internet access for downloading and activating the software. It calibrates monitors only, not phones or tablets. The listed price is $169 as a one-time purchase.