Take that, Elf! vs Elf Studio®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Take that, Elf!
This augmented reality experience allows users to adopt and then torment virtual elves. Vent holiday frustrations by engaging in various destructive actions against these digital creatures. It's a cathartic way to deal with pent-up emotions.
- Augmented reality experience
- Adopt a virtual elf
- Vent holiday frustrations
- Torment virtual elves
- Cathartic gameplay
Read full descriptionHide full description
TAKE THAT, ELF is a therapeutic AR experience brought to you by the minds of WE ARE ROYALE. Vent your holiday frustration on these little punks. First, adopt an elf as your very own, and then mistreat them however you deem fit. Elves are evil, maniacal, aloof little creatures that have no place in the joy that is the holidays. And yet we trust these little dirtballs with the art of making toys for our kids. Their grubby little hands chiseling Timmy's toy tiger. Their rancid breath breathing down on Suzy's little doll. There’s a reason Santa locks them up after their work is done. Seriously. Elves are insane. And something has to be done with them. Never got over the fact that Santa “forgot” to give you that Powerglove in the late 80’s? Toss a match on an elf... Mad that your brother got that sweet Power Wheels and you had to settle for a crappy telescope? Christmas ain't for science, son! Electrocute an elf and settle the score… Now’s your time to get even, so grab your phone, adopt your own elfish nightmare, and do your best to destroy their soul.
Elf Studio®
Create magical videos and photos of Santa and his elves visiting your home using augmented reality. Place characters in any environment, customize their appearance and animations, and record your own festive scenes.
- Add Santa Claus and elves
- Unlimited elves and recording time
- Create custom elves with Elf Workshop
- Customize elf outfits and accessories
- Elves with walking and dancing animations
- Pre-plan or perform animations
- Customize lighting, shadows, and camera filters
Read full descriptionHide full description
Welcome to Elf Studio®! The latest marvel from the Software Elves here at the North Pole Command Center (Creators of Speak to Santa)! Turn your elf's Christmas mischief into photos and videos set in your own home! Put them under the tree, send them towards the cookie jar, or dream up a surprise of your own. - SCAN YOUR OWN ELF! Start with one photo of your elf toy, with room for up to four views. Every account includes one elf scan. Elf Studio Pro includes ten a month, with no additional credit charge. - NO TOY? DRAW OR DESCRIBE ONE! Sketch your elf on the drawing pad or describe it in words, and the AI turns it into an elf you can cast in any scene. - QUICK CREATE OR STUDIO! Pick an elf and a photo, then describe the action, or stage your photo by dragging elves and props into place, choosing poses and adjusting sizes. - GET HELP WITH THE WORDS! Studio builds a scene script from your layout. Get Ideas suggests actions for your photo, and Improve helps rewrite your prompt. - AI PHOTOS & VIDEOS! Make photo takes, compare them and animate your favorite. Cast up to three elves with their own roles in the scene. - DIRECT THE SHOT! Create five-second AI videos with Natural, Stop Motion or Storybook styling, camera movement, portrait or landscape framing and optional generated sound. Use start and end images to guide the action. - MAKE AN EXAMPLE YOUR OWN! Browse scene ideas and use an example recipe with your chosen elf and your own photo. - THE ELF WORKSHOP! Choose ready-made elves in classic and felt styles, or design one in 3D with hair, hats, outfits, gloves, shoes, glasses and colors, with a live preview. - ENHANCE WITH AI! Give your elf a lifelike look and keep different looks to choose from. - BRING THE PROPS! Pick from the prop shelf, scan a toy or describe a prop for the AI to create reference pictures. - STICKERS & POSES! Make AI stickers of your elf striking new poses, then use those poses in your Studio photos. Add a bust sticker of any custom elf, made right on your device. - SEND THEM IN MESSAGES! Open Elf Studio® in the Messages app drawer to send the cast, your own elves and the stickers you have made. - HOME SCREEN WIDGETS! Count the sleeps until Christmas or until your elf arrives, with a posed elf of your choice keeping watch. - MAKE THEM AR-READY! Generate a 3D model of a scanned elf or prop before placing it in your room. - FILM IN AUGMENTED REALITY! Place AR-ready elves and props on your floor, draw walking routes, add stops and choose animations. Capture AR photos and videos, with Look at Camera, footsteps, lighting and actions you can trigger while filming. AR needs a compatible device. - CATCH THEIR FACES! Record the viewer's reaction as your video plays. Reaction recordings stay on your device and are not uploaded to Elf Studio®. - ADD THE FINISHING TOUCH! Apply eight video looks and filters without changing the original. Find your creations in the Gallery, save them to Photos and share the files. AI generation needs an internet connection. Once a job is sent, it can continue on our servers while you leave the app. Enable notifications to hear when it is ready. Your Gallery is stored on this device. Elf Studio® does not provide cloud library backup, so export the memories you want to keep. AI or AR. Photo or video. Your elf, your home, your Christmas story! Elf Studio® is created by North Pole Command Centre Limited and works with any toy. Elf Studio® is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Elf on the Shelf®, but many families use Elf Studio® alongside their existing Elf on the Shelf traditions. Made by the software elves here at the North Pole Command Center! Elf Studio® is a registered trademark in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States. All rights reserved.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Elf Studio® at 4.7 against Take that, Elf!'s 4.1. Elf Studio® also leads on ratings volume (3.8K vs 16). Take that, Elf!'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Elf Studio® sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Take that, Elf! asks for nothing beyond the download.
Elf Studio® holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elf Studio® has 3.8K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Take that, Elf!'s written reviews are positive against 45% of Elf Studio®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Take that, Elf! ships an update every 2 days, Elf Studio® every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Take that, Elf! | Elf Studio® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (16 ratings) | 4.7 (3.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 45.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 3.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 214 MB | 350 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | WE ARE ROYALE LLC | North Pole Command Centre Limited |
Customer experience
Take that, Elf!
Elf Studio®
Bugs and requests
Take that, Elf!
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Elf Studio®
Reported bugs
2 issues- Unable to scan surfaces for elf placement
- Crashes and freezes when trying to use app
Requested features
3 requests- More free customization options
- Ability to save and share created scenes
- Improved surface detection for elf placement
In-app purchases
Take that, Elf!
No in-app purchases
Elf Studio®
- Unlock Elf Studio$1.991 Month
- Elf Studio™ - Monthly$2.991 Month
- Unlock Elf Studio$3.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Elf Studio™ - Annual$6.991 Year
- 50+ Elf Dance Animations$0.99
- 1 Credit - Pro Price$1.99
- 5 Credits - Pro Price$5.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- 5 Elf Video Credits$7.99
- 10 Credits - Pro Price$9.99
- Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass$19.99
- 25 Credits - Pro Price$22.99
Questions
Is Take that, Elf! free?
Is Elf Studio® free?
Which has better reviews, Take that, Elf! or Elf Studio®?
Do Take that, Elf! or Elf Studio® have ads?
Which is updated more often, Take that, Elf! or Elf Studio®?
Other comparisons















