Your pile of shame deserves a system

You know how it starts. One MG Freedom 2.0 becomes three HGs "because they were on sale." A P-Bandai pre-order you forgot about arrives while you're still halfway through panel lining something else. There's a PG Unicorn in the closet you've been "saving for when your skills are ready" since 2023.

I've been building Gunpla for 14 years. Over 200 completed kits. My backlog? I'd rather not count. I've tried spreadsheets, Instagram albums, notes apps, and dedicated trackers. Most of them solve one piece of the problem (the database, the collection list, the social sharing) and ignore the rest.

Here's what actually exists in 2026 for tracking your Gunpla collection, planning custom builds, and getting that backlog under control.

Quick verdict

Short on time? Here's the breakdown:

• Best for kit research and reviews? Dalong.net. Nothing else comes close for pre-buy research.
• Best for kit database and specs? GunplaDB. Clean lookup for release dates, grades, and series info.
• Best for collection and backlog tracking? Gunpla Pal. Purpose-built, though limited.
• Best for wishlists and pre-orders? HobbyLink Japan. Not a tracker, but most builders already use HLJ wishlists as one.
• Best for custom build planning (references, budget, timeline, build log)? Costumary. Full workspace, not just a list.

1. Dalong.net

• Platform: Web
• Price: Free
• Best for: Researching kits before buying or building

Dalong is the encyclopedia. If Bandai made it, Dalong probably photographed it from twelve angles with the runners laid out. Nearly every HG, MG, RG, and PG kit gets a photo review showing what's in the box, the assembled straight build, color separation, articulation, and size comparisons.

What it does well:

Before I buy anything, I check Dalong. Want to know if the MG Jesta's inner frame is worth the price bump over the HG? Dalong has both side by side. Wondering how much color separation you get on a snap-fit straight build before you commit to a custom paint job? It's all there. The site has been running for years and the archive is massive.

Where it falls short:

It's a review database, not a project tracker. You can look up what's in a kit. You can't track your builds, log your progress, manage your backlog, or record what paints you used. The site design is dated and navigation takes some getting used to. There's no account system, no personal collection features, nothing interactive. But for pure kit research, nothing beats it.

2. GunplaDB

• Platform: Web
• Price: Free
• Best for: Kit identification, release dates, and database lookup

GunplaDB is the structured database Dalong isn't. Clean interface, searchable by grade, series, scale, and release date. If you're trying to figure out which version of the Zaku II you're looking at, or when the RG Hi-Nu actually released, GunplaDB has the answer.

What it does well:

Spec sheets are thorough. You get grade, scale, price, release date, and series info in a clean format. It's useful for identifying kits at shops or secondhand markets, checking if a reissue is coming, and browsing what exists in a particular grade. The search is fast and the data is well-organized.

Where it falls short:

It's a reference tool, not a project management tool. No collection tracking, no build logging, no budget features. You can look up a kit's specs but you can't mark it as owned, in-progress, or completed. Think of it as a catalog, not a workspace. Pair it with something else for the actual tracking.

(Side note: there's also GunplaDB.com, a separate site built by the Gunpla 101 team. It's a search engine that scans Bandai's official database. Different project, similar name, both useful for kit research.)

3. Gunpla Pal

• Platform: Web
• Price: Free
• Best for: Basic collection and backlog tracking

Gunpla Pal is the closest thing to a purpose-built Gunpla collection tracker. It lets you catalog kits you own, mark build status, and manage your backlog. It's a hobby project, likely solo-developed, and it shows in both the charm and the limitations.

What it does well:

It does the one thing most builders actually want: a place to list what you own, what you've built, and what's still in the pile of shame. The interface is simple and focused. If you just want to stop losing track of which kits you have and which ones are waiting, Gunpla Pal handles the basics.

Where it falls short:

Limited features beyond the core list. No budget tracking, no build log, no reference image management, no timeline for planning custom builds. The user base is small, so community features are thin. If you're doing straight builds and just need a checklist, it works. If you're doing custom paint jobs and want to track your Mr. Color inventory, your masking plan, and your build phases, you'll outgrow it.

4. HobbyLink Japan

• Platform: Web, iOS, Android
• Price: Free (it's a retailer)
• Best for: Wishlists, pre-order tracking, and the Private Warehouse

HLJ isn't a build tracker. It's Japan's biggest hobby retailer. But I'm including it because, honestly, most Gunpla builders I know use their HLJ wishlist as a de facto collection manager. You're already browsing there. You're already adding things to the cart at 2 AM. The wishlist becomes the backlog by default.

What it does well:

The Private Warehouse feature is genuinely useful. You can hold items for up to 60 days and consolidate shipments, which saves a fortune on international shipping. Pre-order tracking is solid. The kit catalog is comprehensive with good photos and specs. If you're buying P-Bandai releases or chasing limited runs, HLJ's notification system helps you catch restocks.

Where it falls short:

It's a store, not a workspace. Your "collection" is really just your purchase history. There's no way to track build status, log techniques, manage a paint inventory, or plan a custom build. And it only covers what you bought from HLJ. That MG Barbatos you grabbed at a local hobby shop or from USA Gundam Store doesn't exist in their system. It solves the buying side of the hobby but nothing about the building side.

5. Costumary

• Platform: Web
• Price: Free (2 active projects) / $9/mo (unlimited)
• Best for: Builders who want references, materials, budget, timeline, and build log in one connected workspace

Full disclosure: this is us. I'll be straight about what we do well and where we're still catching up.

What we do well:

Everything lives in one project workspace. Create a project for your MG Sazabi Ver.Ka custom and you get:

• Reference board for box art, custom color schemes, panel line guides, inspiration photos from other builders, and technique references. Unlimited uploads on paid (200 per project). Drag, arrange, annotate.
• Materials list with status tracking (need, ordered, arrived, owned, tested, used). Track your Mr. Color C8 Silver, Tamiya Panel Line Accent, waterslide decals, metal detail parts, LED units, and aftermarket accessories all in one place.
• Budget that auto-calculates from materials. You'll finally know how much that "simple repaint" actually cost once you add Gaia Notes lacquers, Mr. Surfacer, masking tape, cotton swabs, and the replacement airbrush needle you broke. The free budget calculator works without an account.
• Timeline with build-specific phases. Assembly, seam line removal, priming, painting, panel lining, decals, top coat. Break a complex build into stages and set deadlines so "I'll finish it eventually" turns into an actual schedule.
• Build log with structured entries. What worked, what failed, techniques to try next. I started logging my reverse wash results and preshading ratios, and it's made my painting dramatically more consistent across builds.
• Build assistant that knows your project. It reads your kit details, paint list, budget, timeline, and recent log entries before answering. Ask "what's left before top coat?" and it references your actual project state, not a generic checklist.
• Public share link. Share your finished build or WIP reference board with the community. Post the link on r/Gunpla or your group build thread.
• Collaboration. Work on group builds or share a workspace with friends doing the same kit in different color schemes.
• PNG/PDF export of reference boards for printing or sharing offline.
• Templates for different build types (straight build, custom paint, full conversion).

Where we're still catching up:

No Bandai kit database like Dalong or GunplaDB. You can't browse and add kits from a catalog. You create projects manually. No native App Store or Google Play listing, though the web app is a full PWA you can install to your home screen from your browser. No social feed for sharing builds or browsing what others are working on. We're focused on the build planning experience first.

The free tier gives you two active projects. If you're building one kit at a time, that's plenty. If you've got three customs going at once (and I know some of you do), you'll want the paid plan.

Comparison table

What about spreadsheets and Instagram?

Let's be real. Most Gunpla builders track their collection in a Google Sheet (or not at all) and post WIPs on Instagram or r/Gunpla. I did this for years. The spreadsheet had columns for kit name, grade, status, and a rough cost. It worked for the backlog list.

But a spreadsheet can't hold reference images for your candy coat color scheme. It can't track which build phase you're in. It can't calculate that your "budget MG custom" actually cost $140 once you added Gaia Notes paints, Mr. Surfacer 1500, waterslides from Newtype HQ, and a set of metal thrusters. You end up with the spreadsheet for the list, a photos folder for references, Instagram for sharing, and a notes app for technique reminders. Four tools doing what one workspace should handle.

Instagram is great for sharing finished builds and getting feedback on WIPs. It's terrible for planning. You can't organize reference photos by project, track materials, or log what techniques worked on which kit. Your build process disappears into a feed.

The pile of shame is a planning problem

The backlog isn't about having too many kits. (You can never have too many kits. That's what I tell myself.) It's about not having a system for deciding what to build next, what supplies you need, and when you'll actually start.

A pile of unbuilt kits without a plan is just guilt on a shelf. A pile of unbuilt kits with a plan is a queue. The difference between "I should really build something this weekend" and "I'm building the MG Barbatos next, I need Mr. Color C8 and fresh panel line accent, and I'm starting Saturday" is just a little bit of structure.

You don't need to plan every build like a Ver.Ka manual. But knowing what's next, what supplies you're missing, and roughly how long it'll take turns the pile of shame into a build schedule. That's what a tracker is actually for.