Comparison

Phocus vs TiltShift

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

Head to head
About

Phocus

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
Read full description

# Selected by App Store Editors Featured in “Best New Apps and Updates” in the United States and Canada. Phocus is a portrait camera and depth editor for iPhone and iPad, built for realistic bokeh, lens character, focus control, and cinematic color. Capture DSLR-style portraits, preview lens and depth effects live, refine background blur with precision, and create polished images with more control over focus, tone, and mood. With Phocus, you can go beyond simple portrait blur. Shoot with real-time lens and bokeh previews, import your own LUTs, shape aperture and focus depth, edit depth-aware masks, and fine-tune subject separation after capture. Whether you are creating cinematic portraits, polished social content, or expressive camera looks, Phocus gives you powerful tools in a fast and intuitive workflow. Inspired by real optical systems, Phocus lets you simulate lens behavior without external gear. Control aperture feel, blur falloff, bokeh character, focal response, and depth transitions with tools designed for creators who want more than one-tap filters. Phocus Camera keeps the shooting experience closer to the final capture, with live lens previews, natural bokeh rendering, custom LUT import, curated color looks, manual controls, and responsive launch performance. "Looking for an app that not only adds the Portrait mode effect to your photos but does a bit more? Then Phocus is the one you're looking for." — iMore "An Outstanding AI Portrait and Macro Camera for the iPhone. It has clearly established itself as the front runner in this iOS camera apps." — John DeNicola "The app is a fine example of technical and artistic craftsmanship." — iGeeksBlog "Phocus is an excellent photo and video editing app for your iPhone that lets you edit both portrait photos and videos with great attention to detail." — The Useful Tech Phocus enhances your creativity with smart tools: • Live lens and bokeh preview for portrait capture • Natural depth-of-field with adjustable aperture, focus depth, and blur falloff • Lens character controls inspired by classic optical systems • Custom .cube LUT import with personal LUT organization • Curated LUT library for Daily, Film Looks, Vintage, Signature, and Mono styles • Look controls for intensity, tone, grain amount, and grain texture • Manual camera controls for ISO, shutter speed, white balance, exposure, and focus • RAW and ProRAW support for high-quality capture workflows • Intelligent depth separation for natural portrait blur and refined bokeh • Real bokeh simulation with aperture shapes and light behavior • Precision brush and eraser tools for edge refinement • Dual-layer editing for foreground and background tone • Portrait video blur with realistic depth-of-field • 3D LUT color styles for cinematic previews and edits • 3D Relight and 3D Scene Preview for depth-aware lighting control • Depth Visualizer, Tap-to-Focus, portrait matte, and depth map export • Lock Screen and Control Center shortcuts for quick camera launch and editing • Built-in tutorials to learn the app step by step Phocus AI Subscription Unlock full creative control with a Phocus AI subscription, available monthly or annually. Terms of use: https://rayinformatics.com/terms Privacy policy: https://rayinformatics.com/privacy Contact: https://rayinformatics.com/contact

About

TiltShift

Create a miniature model effect on your photos by adjusting the focus and depth of field. Enhance your images by fine-tuning brightness and chroma for a visually appealing preview of the tilt-shift effect.

Highlights
  • Miniature model effect
  • Adjustable focus position
  • Depth of field control
  • Brightness adjustment
  • Chroma adjustment
  • Visual effect preview
Features
Read full description

Transform your photos into stunning miniature masterpieces with TiltShift.​ TiltShift provides professional-grade blur effects and depth-of-field controls, allowing you to create the classic "toy town" look or elegant portrait bokeh in seconds. Whether you are a professional photographer or a casual hobbyist, our intuitive tools give you the creative freedom you need.​ Key Features:​ • Professional Blur Engine:​ High-quality linear and radial blur gradients. • Precision Control:​ Adjust blur intensity, spread, and position with simple gestures. • Real-time Preview:​ See your adjustments instantly with our optimized rendering engine. • High-Resolution Export:​ Save your creations in full quality without compromise. Download TiltShift today and start seeing the world from a new perspective!​

Screenshots

Phocus4 screens
TiltShift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Phocus at 4.6 against TiltShift's 3.0. Phocus also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 11%) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement 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. Phocus sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and TiltShift sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phocus holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phocus has 6.8K ratings behind it against 3, 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 11% of TiltShift's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phocus ships an update fortnightly, TiltShift every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Phocus versus TiltShift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhocusTiltShift
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.8K ratings) — better3.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews49.7% of reviews — better11.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6.8K — better3
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 20 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size349 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRAY INFORMATICS YAZILIM TEKNOLOJI MEDYA DANISMANLIK VE EGITIM TICARET LIMITED SIRKETICHI HAO CHIU

Customer experience

Phocus

All ratings6,838 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews499 reviews
Positive49.7%
Neutral5.2%
Negative45.1%

TiltShift

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive11.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative88.9%

Bugs and requests

Phocus

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

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

TiltShift

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Phocus

Subscriptions4
  • Phocus AI Weekly2 variants$3.997 Days
  • Phocus AI Monthly2 variants$7.991 Month
  • Phocus AI Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Phocus AI Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Phocus AI Unlimited Access$59.99
1 purchases

TiltShift

One-time1
  • In-app purchase$0.99

Questions

Is Phocus free?
Phocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TiltShift free?
TiltShift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phocus or TiltShift?
Phocus is rated higher. Phocus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.8K ratings, while TiltShift averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Phocus or TiltShift have ads?
TiltShift shows ads; Phocus does not.
Which is updated more often, Phocus or TiltShift?
Phocus ships an update fortnightly, and TiltShift every 20 months. Most recently, Phocus was updated on September 23, 2026 and TiltShift on September 4, 2026.

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