# Filter Candy vs Illusory

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Illusory at 100% against Filter Candy's 50%. Illusory also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Filter Candy's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Illusory holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Filter Candy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Illusory's.

Filter Candy ships an update every 5 months, Illusory every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Filter Candy | Illusory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filter-candy/id1185277408/reviews) | **[4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/illusory-photo-editor/id1428745381/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 84 MB | 141 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [205L Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/453170205) | [Yevhenii Zozulia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1347865942) |

## What reviewers say

### Filter Candy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filter-candy/id1185277408)

Transform your photos with a wide array of film-inspired presets and powerful editing tools. Achieve stunning visual effects for any subject or setting, from classic vintage looks to vibrant, high-contrast styles. Enhance your images with adjustments like vignette, grain, and sharpness before sharing.

**Highlights:** Film-emulation presets, Vignette, grain, sharpness adjustments, Exposure and contrast controls, Saturation enhancement, Multiple preset packs (Essential, Classic, Instant, Slide, Creative, Black), Photo sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Illusory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/illusory-photo-editor/id1428745381)

Transform your photos into stunning masterpieces with a wide array of professional editing tools, filters, and effects. Effortlessly enhance images for social media or professional portfolios, making ordinary snapshots extraordinary art.

**Highlights:** Professional editing tools (Exposure, Contrast, Saturation), Advanced color correction, Blurring tools (radial, linear, Gaussian, motion), Noise reduction and sharpening, Diverse filters and effects (Duotone, Color fog, B&W), Cropping and composition guidelines, Customizable frames with shadow effects

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Filter Candy free?

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

### Is Illusory free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Filter Candy or Illusory?

Illusory is rated higher. Filter Candy averages 4.3 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Illusory averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.

### Do Filter Candy or Illusory have ads?

Neither Filter Candy nor Illusory shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Filter Candy or Illusory?

Filter Candy ships an update every 5 months, and Illusory every 3 weeks. Most recently, Filter Candy was updated on October 10, 2026 and Illusory on September 24, 2026.

---

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