SaberFX Lite vs Cyclops AR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SaberFX Lite
Easily add movie-style special effects to your videos. This app functions like a drawing program, allowing you to rotoscope effects directly onto your movie frames. Customize glow, opacity, and width for a professional look.
- Add movie-style special effects
- Rotoscoping functionality
- Drawing tools for effects
- Customizable saber effects
- Adjust glow, opacity, and width
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SaberFX Lite is used for adding special effects to your movies. It works just like a drawing program, except that you are drawing movie style special effects onto the frames of your movie. This process is often referred to as Rotoscoping. The goal of SaberFX Lite is to make this process as quick and easy as possible. Drawing tools include two Sabers, that may be customized for opacity, width, and size of glow.
Cyclops AR
Visualize digital assets and architectural designs in real-world environments using augmented reality. Professionals can preview CG characters, set extensions, and building proposals directly on location, enhancing pre-production and design workflows.
- AR visualization of digital assets
- Real-time animation and lighting
- Google Maps integration with sun path
- Professional camera and lens matching
- Import/export with Unreal Engine
- AI People compositing
- Lidar for holdout geometry
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Cyclops is an advanced AR visualization tool for film/TV and architecture, relied on by industry professionals to easily visualize ideas in the real world. See digital creatures, set extensions or designs in context with actual sets, actors and locations. Scout building sites and design proposals aligned to real geography. Whether the content you are creating will be virtual or real, you can use Cyclops anywhere to provide a new perspective on the world. Use Cyclops anywhere to put your virtual ideas into real-world context. For VFX Crew Visualize CG characters, creatures and set extensions on set or on location, with simulcam-like capabilities in real time. Integrate VFX elements with powerful compositing tools. Preview, share and discuss how VFX elements will integrate into shots while scouting and shooting. For Directors, Cinematographers, & Camera Operators Block shots and create photoboards in AR or in Google Maps. “Find” shots by framing up virtual and real storytelling elements. Scout camera coverage, lenses and real locations to help prepare shot lists and shooting plans. Use as a digital viewfinder to properly review VFX shots with proper camera lens matching. For Designers & Architects Visualize architecture projects in AR to see and share how designs fit the real world. Visualize designs in Google Maps to explore and present a proposed build within the actual geography. Create scenarios for lighting or drop in posed humans to capture video with scale reference. Features & Tools: Import your own FBX/OBJ models or export assets and levels from Unreal Real-time animation, lighting and FX adjustment tools Search-and-explore via Google Maps, with correct sun path information Professional cinema camera & lens matching Scene organization tools, including outliner, layers and bookmarks Asset tools to move, rotate, & scale objects in the scene Take photos and record videos with metadata/camera data Export recorded cameras into Unreal Game controller support Range finder and measuring tape tool Robust animation playback controls – scrub, adjust playback speed, set in/out points, & more Built-in Photo and Video Gallery with custom info, metadata and sharing Seamless import/export with Unreal Engine Secure content delivery system AI People compositing Chromakey Scene Lidar for holdout geometry Built-in GPS alignment Point Cloud Anchor tools to correctly save and load CG models in real-world locations Scene-saving tools Create your own complex assets in Unreal with different color, texture, or material options Multiple operation modes, including Asset Mode, Shot Mode, VCAM Mode and Maps Mode Secure platform. All content is stored on your device with no rendering in the cloud. Hundreds of user-driven tools and features Additional Info: Cyclops is a subscription-based app. Multiple subscription levels and time frames are offered to fit user and project needs. Maps - access to Maps Mode only Assets - access to Maps and Asset modes Pro - access to all modes. You can enjoy a 1-week free trial. iOS or iPadOS 16 or newer is required. For the best experience with Cyclops, a 2021 or newer iPad Pro is recommended. Please see our website for more info, tutorials & support. http://cyclops.thethirdfloorinc.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SaberFX Lite at none against Cyclops AR's 10. SaberFX Lite also leads on ratings volume (88 vs 3) and rating (3.9 vs 3.7). Cyclops AR's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Cyclops AR sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. SaberFX Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
SaberFX Lite holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SaberFX Lite has 88 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of SaberFX Lite's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cyclops AR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
SaberFX Lite ships an update every 12 months, Cyclops AR monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SaberFX Lite | Cyclops AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (88 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 58.8% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 88 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 442 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joe Schiwall | The Third Floor, Inc |
Customer experience
SaberFX Lite
Cyclops AR
Bugs and requests
SaberFX Lite
Reported bugs
4 issues- Rendered product not going into photos
- Blurry video output
- Cannot watch/export video
- App sometimes doesn't load video
Requested features
7 requests- Add more colors (blue, color wheel)
- Add other effects like lightning
- Improve clash effect
- Allow editing with photos
- Improve manual descriptiveness
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- Add a way to change colors
- Add more editing options
Cyclops AR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SaberFX Lite
No in-app purchases
Cyclops AR
- Maps Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Assets Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Maps 6 Months7 Days trial$5.996 Months
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- Pro Weekly7 Days trial$9.997 Days
- Maps Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Assets Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Assets 6 Months7 Days trial$79.996 Months
- Pro 6 Months7 Days trial$124.996 Months
- Assets Yearly7 Days trial$150.001 Year
Questions
Is SaberFX Lite free?
Is Cyclops AR free?
Which has better reviews, SaberFX Lite or Cyclops AR?
Do SaberFX Lite or Cyclops AR have ads?
Which is updated more often, SaberFX Lite or Cyclops AR?
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