# ThemeWall vs Backdrops

The clearest difference is monetization model: Backdrops at free with in-app purchases against ThemeWall's subscription. Backdrops also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). ThemeWall's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (77% vs 60%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ThemeWall sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Backdrops sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for ThemeWall against 4.7 for Backdrops. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ThemeWall has 23K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of ThemeWall's written reviews are positive against 60% of Backdrops's.

ThemeWall ships an update every 9 days, Backdrops every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ThemeWall | Backdrops |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/themewall-wallpapers-and-widget/id1201590846/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backdrops-wallpapers/id1500143735/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 59.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 158 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Craox Technologies LLP.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473554375) | [Christopher Morales](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500143734) |

## What reviewers say

### ThemeWall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/themewall-wallpapers-and-widget/id1201590846)

Transform your phone's appearance with a vast collection of live wallpapers and dynamic themes. Explore categories like nature, art, and anime, and easily set them as your Lock Screen. New content is added weekly to keep your device fresh and inspiring.

**Highlights:** Live Wallpaper maker, High-quality animations, Large category list, Weekly new content, Share via social media, Customizable lock screen

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Wallpapers Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly - Premium Wallpapers | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Wallpapers Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly - Premium Wallpapers | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Wallpapers Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Wallpapers Yearly Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly - Premium Wallpapers | $49.99 | per year |
| 5 AI Wallpapers Credit | $1.99 | one-time |
| GO Pro - Full Access unlimited | $4.99 | one-time |
| 18 AI Wallpapers Credit | $5.99 | one-time |
| 30 AI Wallpapers Credit | $9.99 | one-time |
| 80 AI Wallpapers Credit | $19.99 | one-time |
| 200 AI Wallpapers Credit | $39.99 | one-time |
| 40 AI Wallpapers Credit | $59.99 | one-time |
| 800 AI Wallpapers Credit | $79.99 | one-time |
| 2000 AI Wallpapers Credit | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great selection of wallpapers
- 🎨 Beautiful and high-quality images
- 💡 Variety of categories to choose from
- 🤩 Amazing wallpapers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Too many ads that disrupt the experience
- 🔒 Locked categories require 5-star rating to access
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🙄 Forced 5-star rating to unlock features

**Reported bugs**

- Live wallpapers not working as expected
- Downloading wallpapers not always successful
- App crashing on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Reduce the number of ads
- Unlock all categories without rating requirement
- Improve app stability and reduce crashes


### Backdrops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backdrops-wallpapers/id1500143735)

Discover and download unique, original wallpapers designed in-house or contributed by the community. Explore daily new designs, save your favorites, and sync them across devices. Unlock premium collections and an ad-free experience with a Pro upgrade.

**Highlights:** Original hand-crafted wallpapers, Community submissions, Daily featured wallpapers, Variety of styles and themes, Premium and Pro collections, Ad-free experience (Pro), Favorites and sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Acid Pop Collection | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 Coins - Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Animal Riot Collection | $2.99 | one-time |
| Optic Odysseys Collection | $2.99 | one-time |
| Synth Wavez Collection | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lost in the Void Collection | $2.99 | one-time |
| Shades of Saturn Collection | $2.99 | one-time |
| Dunes Day Collection | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 Coins - Deluxe Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Backdrops Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Backdrops Pro + Big Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Backdrops Pro + Huge Tip | $8.99 | one-time |
| 100 Coins - Ultimate Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 High quality wallpapers
- 🚀 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💰 Free with optional paid pro version
- 🎨 Variety of wallpaper styles and themes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Forced to watch ads to download wallpapers
- 🔒 Pro version has limited additional content
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and loading issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Sign in with Apple not working
- Paid pro version not recognized
- Unable to return to main menu after viewing wallpaper

**Requested features**

- Full-screen wallpaper preview
- Landscape support for iPad
- More frequent updates to pro wallpapers
- Dark mode icon


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ThemeWall free?

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

### Is Backdrops free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ThemeWall or Backdrops?

Backdrops is rated higher. ThemeWall averages 4.6 out of 5 from 23K ratings, while Backdrops averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do ThemeWall or Backdrops have ads?

Both ThemeWall and Backdrops show ads.

### Which is updated more often, ThemeWall or Backdrops?

ThemeWall ships an update every 9 days, and Backdrops every 2 months. Most recently, ThemeWall was updated on October 26, 2026 and Backdrops on October 25, 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.*