Comparison

Path Tracer vs FACEMOTION3D

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Path Tracer

Experience real-time, photorealistic computer graphics on your iPhone. This application leverages Apple's Metal graphics platform to render complex lighting effects and scenes instantly, allowing you to create and manipulate stunning visuals directly on your device.

Highlights
  • Real-time path tracing
  • Realistic global illumination
  • 30 FPS rendering
  • Pre-built and custom scenes
  • Adjustable lighting and camera
  • Multiple surface texture types
Features
Read full description

This app does real time path tracing on your iPhone. A path tracer is software which traces light in order to create realistic looking computer generated graphics. While usually this process takes hours, even days, utilizing the power of Apple's Metal graphics platform this app is able to make the process happen in real time. Key features: -Create realistic computer generated images on your phone. - Realistic lighting effects (global illumination) -Watch the images render in real time at 30 frames per second. -View 5 pre-built scenes, or create your own. -Insert up to 5 spheres in your scene. -Move the camera, adjust lighting and change the wall colors. -Supports three different texture types: diffuse surfaces, mirror surfaces, and glass surfaces.

About

FACEMOTION3D

Capture facial expressions on your iOS device and stream them in real-time to 3DCG software on your PC. Export recorded animation data in FBX format or import VRM files. Achieve accurate facial motion capture easily.

Highlights
  • Real-time facial motion capture
  • 3DCG software integration (DAZ Studio, Maya, Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender)
  • FBX animation data export
  • VRM file import
  • In-app animation baking
  • Accurate facial motion capture
Features
Read full description

With FACEMOTION3D, you can capture facial expressions with an iOS app and communicate in real time with 3DCG software on your PC. You can also FBX export the recorded animation data.You can also import VRM format files into the iOS app. Detailed usage is available at the following URL: https://www.facemotion3d.net/ This app can create facial animations by communicating in real time with DAZ Studio, Maya, Unity ,UnrealEngine and Blender. In addition, you can bake recorded animations within the iOS app via streaming. To use it, first start this app, then download and connect the plug-in script add-on used for data examination on the PC side. Very accurate facial motion capture is very easy to do. This app is only available on iPhone / iPad with Face ID or iPhone / iPad with A12 Bonic or higher CPU. This app has the following iOS supported devices with Face ID: ・ IPhone iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 iPhone XS Max iPhone XS iPhone XR iPhone X ・ IPad iPad Pro 12.9 inch (4th generation) iPad Pro 12.9 inch (3rd generation) iPad Pro 11 inch (2nd generation) iPad Pro 11 inch * Face ID is not used in the new iPhone SE 2nd generation released in 2020, but you can use FACE MOTION 3D by updating to iOS 14 or later. FACEMOTION3D can be used not only for the 2nd generation of iPhone SE but also when it is equipped with an A12 or later chip and has been updated to iOS14. The camera image and resulting depth data are only used to send the motion capture data to the user's PC. That data is not saved on the iPhone. You need access to the camera to get depth data from Apple's API. This application is only used to communicate with PCs in the same network and does not send any information to third parties.

Screenshots

Path Tracer4 screens
FACEMOTION3D3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Path Tracer at 79% against FACEMOTION3D's 34%. Path Tracer also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). FACEMOTION3D's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 13 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. FACEMOTION3D sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Path Tracer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Path Tracer holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Path Tracer's written reviews are positive against 34% of FACEMOTION3D's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Path Tracer ships an update every 13 months, FACEMOTION3D every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Path Tracer versus FACEMOTION3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPath TracerFACEMOTION3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (28 ratings) — better3.3 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews — better34.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2835 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.2
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB477 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeople TechDevelopW LLC

Customer experience

Path Tracer

All ratings28 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral3.6%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.8%

FACEMOTION3D

All ratings35 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive34.1%
Neutral15.9%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Path Tracer

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

FACEMOTION3D

Subscriptions6
  • VRMAvatarImportSubscription7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • StreamingOtherSubscription7 Days trial$2.491 Month
  • StreamingBlenderSubscription7 Days trial$3.491 Month
Show 3 more
  • StreamingUnitySubscription7 Days trial$4.491 Month
  • StreamingMayaSubscription7 Days trial$4.491 Month
  • RemoveRecordTimeLimitSubscribe7 Days trial$4.991 Month
One-time5
  • VRMAvatarImportPermanent$5.99
  • StreamingOtherPermanent$14.99
  • StreamingUnityPermanent$14.99
Show 2 more
  • RemoveRecordTimeLimitPermanent$16.99
  • StreamingBlenderPermanent$16.99

Questions

Is Path Tracer free?
Path Tracer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FACEMOTION3D free?
FACEMOTION3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Path Tracer or FACEMOTION3D?
Path Tracer is rated higher. Path Tracer averages 4.4 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while FACEMOTION3D averages 3.3 from 35 ratings.
Do Path Tracer or FACEMOTION3D have ads?
Neither Path Tracer nor FACEMOTION3D shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Path Tracer or FACEMOTION3D?
Path Tracer ships an update every 13 months, and FACEMOTION3D every 2 months. Most recently, Path Tracer was updated on October 5, 2026 and FACEMOTION3D on October 8, 2026.

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