FX Halftone Stencil vs Atkinson
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FX Halftone Stencil
Easily create artistic images with halftone and stencil effects. This app helps you generate unique pictures for gifts or personal expression, transforming your photos into art.
- Halftone effects
- Stencil effects
- Artistic picture creation
- Easy to use
- Photo editing
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FX Halftone Stencil is a simple application which help you easily and fastly create pictures with halftone effects. Haftone combines with Stencil will generate great artistic pictures. You can use FX Halftone Stencil to make simple gift for family, relatives or friends... or even turn you into an artist. Have fun!
Atkinson
This app processes photos using the Atkinson dithering algorithm, originally used for black and white displays on old Macintosh computers. It creates small file-sized images with options for square cropping, rounded corners, and white borders, offering a real-time preview of the effect.
- Atkinson dithering algorithm processing
- Square photo output
- Toggleable rounded corners
- White border option
- Real-time preview
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Transform your photos with the iconic Atkinson dithering algorithm — the same technique used on the original Macintosh by Bill Atkinson. Create stunning retro-style images with a single tap. # What is Atkinson Dithering? Atkinson dithering was the algorithm behind the classic 1-bit graphics of early Macintosh computers. It converts photos i nto beautiful two-tone pixel patterns, producing images with a distinctive vintage charm and remarkably small file sizes. # Features - Real-time Atkinson dithering preview through your camera - 7 retro-tech color palettes: Terminal Green, Amber Monitor, Original Macintosh, Game Boy, Apple II Green, White Phospho r, and classic black & white - 5 iconic frames inspired by computing history: MacPaint, Classic Mac window, Terminal, White Frame, and frameless - Adjustable brightness control - Rounded corner option - Square photo output optimized for social media - Lightweight PNG output with tiny file sizes # Color Palettes Go beyond black and white. Choose from color palettes inspired by legendary displays — the green glow of VT100 terminals, the warm amber of IBM monitors, the creamy screen of the original Macintosh, and more. # Retro Frames Wrap your dithered photos in frames inspired by classic software. The MacPaint frame features pixel-perfect tool palettes and menu bars, just like Bill Atkinson's legendary paint program. The Classic Mac frame recreates the iconic window chrome of early Macintosh. # Perfect for - Retro and vintage photo enthusiasts - Pixel art lovers - Social media posts with a unique aesthetic - Anyone who appreciates the beauty of 1-bit graphics
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: FX Halftone Stencil at 4.1 against Atkinson's 3.3. FX Halftone Stencil also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (21 vs 6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. FX Halftone Stencil sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Atkinson sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
FX Halftone Stencil holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of FX Halftone Stencil's written reviews are positive against 71% of Atkinson's.
FX Halftone Stencil ships an update every 3 weeks, Atkinson monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FX Halftone Stencil | Atkinson |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (21 ratings) — better | 3.3 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 71.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tien Le | Tsutomu Koyachi |
Customer experience
FX Halftone Stencil
Atkinson
In-app purchases
FX Halftone Stencil
- Remove Advertisement$1.99
Atkinson
- Standard Month$0.991 Month
- Standard Year$9.991 Year
