# Phocus vs Blur background.

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Blur background. at none against Phocus's 7. Blur background. also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Phocus's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 21 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 29%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Phocus sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Blur background. asks for nothing beyond the download.

Phocus holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phocus has 6.8K ratings behind it against 334, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Phocus's written reviews are positive against 29% of Blur background.'s.

Phocus ships an update fortnightly, Blur background. every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phocus | Blur background. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (6.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phocus-dslr-portrait-camera/id1211807807/reviews)** | [4.4 (334 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blur-background/id1436050646/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.8K** | 334 |
| Positive reviews | **49.5% of reviews** | 29.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 21 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 320 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RAY INFORMATICS YAZILIM TEKNOLOJI MEDYA DANISMANLIK VE EGITIM TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/965885089) | [Alexander Sukhanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170659765) |

## What reviewers say

### Phocus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phocus-dslr-portrait-camera/id1211807807)

This AI-powered app creates DSLR-style portraits by simulating realistic background blur and offering advanced 3D relighting capabilities. It allows for precise control over depth, lighting, and scene atmosphere, transforming any photo into a cinematic masterpiece.

**Highlights:** DSLR-style portrait creation, Realistic background blur simulation, Advanced 3D relighting, AI-powered subject detection, DSLR lens emulation, Portrait video blur

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Phocus AI Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Phocus AI Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Phocus AI Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Phocus AI Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Phocus AI Unlimited Access | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app
- 👍 Best tool camera app
- 👍 Easy editing, works great
- 👍 Makes your phone current

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Hilariously terrible effects
- 🔒 Can't limit access to personal stuff
- 🐛 Awful, blurs everything
- 🐛 Crashes too much
- 🐛 Doesn't render, gets stuck

**Reported bugs**

- Can't save pictures
- Photos don't download
- Unable to save picture
- Camera crashes when clicking portrait
- App dies if you don't upgrade

**Requested features**

- Change bokeh shapes/effects
- Add manual brush to control bokeh
- Make it a photo extension in Photos app
- Add more shadows and directional lighting


### Blur background.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blur-background/id1436050646)

Easily add a professional-looking blurred background to your photos, mimicking the effect of dual-camera portrait modes. This machine learning-powered app lets you enhance existing images or those taken with a single lens, offering various blur styles and adjustable intensity.

**Highlights:** Add blur to any photo, Machine learning based, Multiple blur styles (Bokeh, Motion, etc.), Adjustable blur intensity, Enhance single-camera photos

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Great bokeh effect
- 🐶 Portrait mode for pets
- 🎛️ Adjustable blur background
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 💯 Does what it says (for some)

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ No instructions provided
- 🚫 Lacks back/next buttons
- 😵 Difficult to navigate
- 📸 Fails to detect subjects
- 🖼️ Blurs entire photo

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on startup
- Fails to access photos
- Unresponsive touch controls
- App crashes
- Incompatible with iOS 15

**Requested features**

- Add instructions
- Improve subject detection
- Add save functionality
- Make app universal for iPad
- More intuitive interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phocus free?

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

### Is Blur background. free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phocus or Blur background.?

Phocus is rated higher. Phocus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.8K ratings, while Blur background. averages 4.4 from 334 ratings.

### Do Phocus or Blur background. have ads?

Neither Phocus nor Blur background. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Phocus or Blur background.?

Phocus ships an update fortnightly, and Blur background. every 21 months. Most recently, Phocus was updated on October 26, 2026 and Blur background. on October 22, 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.*