# Manikin vs Shaders

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Manikin at 74% against Shaders's 23%. Manikin also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 21 months). Shaders's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Manikin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shaders asks for nothing beyond the download.

Manikin holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Manikin has 4.4K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Manikin's written reviews are positive against 23% of Shaders's.

Manikin ships an update every 2 months, Shaders every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Manikin | Shaders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manikin/id1020666956/reviews)** | [2.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaders-shader-editor/id1221602862/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 48 |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 23.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 21 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 226 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UNSH VOF](https://appshunter.io/developer/1020666955) | [Proof of Concept](https://appshunter.io/developer/1293750743) |

## What reviewers say

### Manikin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manikin/id1020666956)

This app provides a 3D posing tool for artists, offering a collection of models and tools to help with drawing anatomically correct figures. It allows for quick scene creation, storyboard generation, and comic book illustration framing, with intuitive posing and adjustable camera and lighting.

**Highlights:** 3D model posing, Anatomy reference, Intuitive controls, Adjustable camera and lighting, Character animations, Cutout screenshots

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Manikin - full | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Dramatically speeds up workflow
- 👍 Smooth and speedy posing
- 👍 Helped improve drawings
- 👍 Useful for reference poses
- 👍 Easy to use and understand

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Camera controls feel unnatural
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Difficult to move and select objects
- 🐛 Confusing UI with unclear buttons
- 🐛 Laggy and unresponsive at times

**Reported bugs**

- Unlocked items disappearing
- Horizontal camera toggle not working
- Pose resets when using certain features
- Inability to move multiple models independently

**Requested features**

- Digitigrade leg toggle
- Ability to scale and customize body parts
- Add animal models (e.g. cats, dogs)
- Ability to import custom 3D models
- Perspective slider for camera view


### Shaders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaders-shader-editor/id1221602862)

Create, view, and share custom graphics programs that run on the GPU. Learn how to integrate these visual effects into your own applications.

**Highlights:** Create custom shaders, View shaders, Share shaders with users, Learn shader integration, GPU graphics programming

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manikin free?

Manikin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shaders free?

Shaders is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Manikin or Shaders?

Manikin is rated higher. Manikin averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Shaders averages 2.1 from 48 ratings.

### Do Manikin or Shaders have ads?

Neither Manikin nor Shaders shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Manikin or Shaders?

Manikin ships an update every 2 months, and Shaders every 21 months. Most recently, Manikin was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shaders on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*