The best minifigure scanner app depends on whether your minifigures are still in their boxes. Box code scanners read the code on newer collectible minifigure packaging to show what's inside before you open it, while photo apps identify minifigures you already own. One app here is for loose bricks and build ideas instead.
Minifigure scanner apps help collectors work out which LEGO minifigure is in a sealed box, or which one they're holding. They do it in quite different ways, and the store pages tend to blur the line between scanning a box and scanning a minifigure.
This list is alphabetical, in no particular order, and each description comes from the app's own website or store listing, read as of Nov 2026. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group. These are independent apps, and several say on their own pages that the LEGO Group doesn't authorize or endorse them.
Minifigure and brick scanners compared
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| brick'em | Bulk minifigure and parts scanner | A whole pile in one photo |
| Brickify | Collection scanner for minifigures and cards | One item or a whole pile |
| Brickit | Loose brick scanner with build ideas | Builds from bricks you already own |
| BrickScan | Photo identifier for minifigures and parts | Identifying by taking a picture |
| BrickSearch Minifigure Scanner | Box code scanner and collection app | Checking boxes before you open them |
| Minifig Scan (Pacolabs) | Fan-made box code scanner | A blind mode for surprises |
| Minifigure Scanner (minifigurescan.com) | AI minifigure identifier on the web | Theme, year and rarity from a photo |
| Minifigure Scanner (minifigurescanner.com) | Free online box code scanner | No app download needed |
| Scanfig | Box code scanner no longer updated | Series 25 to 29 boxes |
| WhatFig | Photo and QR minifigure identifier | Photo, screenshot or QR code |
Ten apps for identifying minifigures and bricks
brick'em
Best for: Photographing a pile or lot to identify many minifigures and loose parts at once, then keeping them in inventories, aimed at sellers and serious collectors.
Brickify
Best for: Scanning one item live or photographing a whole pile, across minifigures, sets and trading cards, with a separate collection for each hobby.
Brickit
Best for: Spreading out loose bricks, taking a photo and getting build ideas and step-by-step instructions that use the parts you already have.
BrickScan
Best for: Identifying minifigures and parts from a photo, with what the maker says is over 16,000 minifigures in its catalog, plus tools for sorting a collection.
BrickSearch Minifigure Scanner
Best for: Scanning the codes on collectible minifigure boxes to see what's inside, offline and several boxes at once, plus a collection list and wishlist.
Minifig Scan (Pacolabs)
Best for: Reading the data codes on supported minifigure boxes, several at once, with a blind mode that spots duplicates without revealing the characters.
Minifigure Scanner (minifigurescan.com)
Best for: Getting a minifigure's theme, year, rarity and parts breakdown from an AI identification, on a site that warns AI can make mistakes.
Minifigure Scanner (minifigurescanner.com)
Best for: Pointing your camera at the data matrix code on Series 25 and newer packaging to see which minifigure is inside, right in the browser.
Scanfig
Best for: Revealing which minifigure is in a Series 25 to Series 29 box from its data code, on a listing that says the app will no longer be maintained.
WhatFig
Best for: Identifying minifigures from a photo, a screenshot or a QR code on collectible series boxes, from a maker that says its database holds over 16,000 minifigures.
Box codes, photos or a pile of bricks?
The apps split into three groups. Box code scanners read a small code printed on the packaging. The minifigurescanner.com site explains: 'Starting with Series 25, LEGO introduced data matrix codes on collectible minifigure packaging', and says earlier series need other ways of identifying them. BrickSearch Minifigure Scanner can 'scan multiple boxes at once', and Minifig Scan, which calls itself 'a fan application', has a blind mode that flags duplicates without spoiling the surprise.
Scanfig is the one to watch. Its listing says 'ScanFig will no longer be maintained', and that the last series it supports is Series 29.
Photo apps work on minifigures you already have. BrickScan offers to identify minifigures and parts 'by simply taking a picture', and notes that it used to be called BrickMonkey. Brickify says 'Scan one item at a time with the live scanner, or photograph a whole pile and identify everything in it at once', and the minifigurescan.com site warns that 'AI can make mistakes'.
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Brickit is the odd one out. It's for loose bricks rather than minifigures: it scans a pile and 'suggests things you can build with the parts you already have'.
That's the split a searcher wouldn't guess: box code scanners only work on newer packaging and read a minifigure before you open it, photo apps identify the ones you already own, and the brick app is about building, not identifying characters.
Sellers, collectors and families want different things
brick'em is built for bulk: you snap a photo of 'a pile or lot' to identify many minifigures and loose parts at once and keep an inventory. WhatFig identifies minifigures from a photo, a screenshot or a QR code. If you're cataloguing a family collection, a photo app with collection tracking will do more for you than a box scanner, and if you're shopping for sealed boxes, it's the other way round.
Keeping a record of a big collection is a job in itself, and my guide to the best home inventory apps covers the wider version. If you're curious about the company behind the bricks, my piece on how LEGO built its brand is a fun read.
Where the box code lives and how to scan it
- Find the small square data matrix code printed on the back of the packaging. One scanner site says these codes are on Series 25 and newer only.
- Point your phone's camera at the code in your scanner app, or in the browser if you're using a web scanner.
- Read the result. One scanner shows the serial number, the name and a picture of the minifigure.
- Move on to the next box. Some apps can read several boxes at once.
Do you make a minifigure scanner app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice for scanning minifigures
Check the series first. If you're shopping for sealed collectible minifigures from Series 25 on, a box code scanner will tell you what's inside before you open it, and a browser-based one means you don't need to install anything. If the minifigures are already out of their boxes, use a photo app and double-check its answer, since one of those sites says plainly that AI can make mistakes. And if it's a tub of loose bricks you're looking at, the brick app is the one for build ideas.
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Frequently asked questions
How do minifigure scanner apps work?
Box code scanners read the data matrix code printed on newer collectible minifigure packaging to show which character is inside. Photo apps identify a minifigure from a picture you take of it.
Which minifigure series have scannable codes?
One scanner site says the data matrix codes started with Series 25, and that earlier series (1 to 24) need other ways of identifying them.
Can I scan a minifigure box without opening it?
Yes, for newer series. That's what the box code scanners are for: they read the code on the packaging and show the minifigure inside.
Are these official LEGO apps?
No. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, and these are independent apps. Several say on their own pages that the LEGO Group doesn't authorize or endorse them.
Can a scanner app identify loose bricks?
Some can. One app identifies parts as well as minifigures from a photo, and another scans a pile of loose bricks and suggests builds from the parts you have.
Are minifigure scanner apps free?
Several are free to download or free to use online, as of Nov 2026, and some limit free scans before asking you to upgrade. Check the listing first.
