Comparison

Flow Wallpapers vs HQ Wallpapers

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

Head to head
About

Flow Wallpapers

This app creates unique, auto-animating wallpapers that react when you wake your device. Customize your lock screen with your own text and choose from a growing library of dynamic designs. Enjoy a gentle animation every time you unlock your phone.

Highlights
  • Auto-animating wallpapers
  • Customizable text
  • Unique color shades and contrast
  • Lock screen animation
  • Regular wallpaper updates
  • Save and set wallpapers easily
Features
Read full description

Flow is one of a kind app that achieves a state of animation using various color shades and contrast levels which will greet you with a gentle animation when you raise to wake or open your lock screen. Flow wallpapers are specific wallpaper that have been tested hundreds of times in order to get the perfect shades and contrast levels that will look best on your device. With flow you can generate your own wallpaper, with your own text which will behave the same way, this is done in device and in a brief period of time. More wallpapers are added. To set a wallpaper simply save one to your photos library and go to the Settings app>Wallpapers>Camera Roll and choose the wallpaper you just saved, you can either set it as still or perspective both will work fine and set it on your lock screen. Lock your device and tap the home button or rise to wake in order to bring up the lock screen and you should notice the animation effect on the wallpaper. Flow wallpapers will work on any iPhone that can run the app. To get the animation effect you have to lock and unlock your device an you will see the wallpaper come to life gradually. You can now subscribe to premium for $0.99/week or use the one time purchase for unlimited lifetime access. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of use: https://www.unicornapps.com/flow-wallpapers-terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://www.unicornapps.com/flow-privacy-policy/ support@unicornapps.com

About

HQ Wallpapers

Discover a curated collection of high-quality live wallpapers and 4K backgrounds to personalize your device. Enjoy a smooth, ad-free experience with daily updates and the ability to create your own unique gradients.

Highlights
  • Live wallpapers
  • 4K backgrounds
  • Ad-free experience
  • Daily exclusive content
  • Gradient creator
  • Multiple categories
Features
Read full description

LIVE WALLPAPERS AND 4K BACKGROUNDS: FREE, HAND PICKED AND AD FREE Transform your iPhone into a screen you enjoy looking at every day. This app gives you a curated collection of high quality wallpapers and live backgrounds designed to make your device feel personal and modern. There are no forced ads, no interruptions and no paywalls blocking basic features. Everything is built to give you a smooth and frustration free experience. Your phone is the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you check at night. You unlock it many times a day, and each of those moments becomes more inspiring when your wallpaper reflects your taste. Your device becomes more than a tool. It becomes something that matches your mood and personality. Whether you prefer soft gradients, abstract art, bold blends, geometric shapes or textured art, this app helps you find the perfect look quickly. We focus on high resolution images, clean design and abstract wallpapers that stand out on all screen sizes. Every wallpaper is reviewed for sharpness and visual appeal. WHY THIS IS THE ULTIMATE WALLPAPER APP Completely Free With No Forced Ads Browse, preview and save wallpapers without interruptions. The experience is clean and fast. Live Wallpapers That Bring Your Screen To Life Animated live backgrounds add motion and atmosphere to your lock screen. Preview them instantly with 3D Touch or a long press. Huge Library of HD, Full HD and 4K Backgrounds Every wallpaper is selected for quality. Colors are rich and images stay crisp on any iPhone model. Updated Daily With New Exclusive Content We add new wallpapers regularly based on trends and user requests. The New filter helps you discover the latest additions. Dont find anything you like? Why not make your own wallpapers? Create wonderful mesh gradients by swiping across the screen. In any colour that you want Popular Filter For Trending Wallpapers See which wallpapers users download the most and explore consistently popular selections. Multiple Categories To Match Your Personality Explore a wide selection of abstract styles, including geometric shapes, soft gradients, colorful patterns, textured designs, artistic compositions and other abstract variations. Save, Preview And Apply Instantly Preview wallpapers on your exact screen size before saving them. Store your favorites for quick access. An app built in beautiful Liquid Glass for iOS26. On lower iOS versions like iOS18.6, iOS18.5, iOS18.4, iOS18.3, iOS18.2, iOS18.1, iOS18 and iOS 17 you still get the design you are familiar with. WORKS ON ALL MODERN IPHONES, INCLUDING THE NEWEST MODELS Optimized for every screen size and supported on: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Plus, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X iPhone SE (all generations) Even older devices get a premium and refreshed look with the high resolution wallpapers included in the app. MAKE YOUR IPHONE FEEL LIKE NEW Your wallpaper shapes the experience of using your phone. With this app you can refresh your home screen and lock screen in seconds and change styles throughout the day. SMOOTH PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY FRIENDLY All wallpapers are tested to ensure smooth performance. The app is lightweight and does not drain your battery. WE LOVE YOUR IDEAS If there is a style or feature you want added, we would love to hear from you. Contact us at hei@purpl.no. We update the app regularly and improve it based on feedback. Special thanks to our content contributors: anton_mishin ruslan_latypov Shahadat R. Shemul

Screenshots

Flow Wallpapers4 screens
HQ Wallpapers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Flow Wallpapers at none against HQ Wallpapers's shown. Flow Wallpapers also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). HQ Wallpapers's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 49%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Flow Wallpapers sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and HQ Wallpapers sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Flow Wallpapers against 4.7 for HQ Wallpapers. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 690 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Flow Wallpapers's written reviews are positive against 70% of HQ Wallpapers's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flow Wallpapers ships an update every 10 days, HQ Wallpapers every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Flow Wallpapers versus HQ Wallpapers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlow WallpapersHQ Wallpapers
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.3K ratings)4.7 (690 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.1% of reviews70.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better690
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRonan StarkPurpl

Customer experience

Flow Wallpapers

All ratings1,288 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive49.1%
Neutral5.7%
Negative45.3%

HQ Wallpapers

All ratings684 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative27.1%

User reviews

Flow Wallpapers

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Good interface
  • 🚀 High-resolution image previews
  • 💡 Unique wallpaper effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High ad frequency
  • 💰 Paywall for most features
  • 🕰️ Slow catalog browsing

HQ Wallpapers

From 690 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💎 High-quality wallpapers
  • 👍 Simple and user-friendly
  • 🎨 Beautiful color gradients
  • 💸 Mostly free wallpapers
  • 🖌️ Customizable wallpaper generator

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes or doesn't open
  • 💰 Expensive premium wallpapers
  • 🔑 Limited free wallpapers require keys

Bugs and requests

Flow Wallpapers

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Wallpapers not animating as expected
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • Errors when trying to save wallpapers

Requested features

3 requests
  • Preview wallpapers before purchase
  • Improved search and filtering
  • Customization options for animations

HQ Wallpapers

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or doesn't open
  • Wallpaper generator not working
  • Issues with purchased keys

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • More free wallpaper variety
  • Improved wallpaper creation tool

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Flow Wallpapers

Subscriptions1
  • Flow Premium Subscription$0.997 Days
One-time1
  • Flow Premium$2.99
2 purchases

HQ Wallpapers

Subscriptions1
  • Montly Generator Access7 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Keys$0.99

Questions

Is Flow Wallpapers free?
Flow Wallpapers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HQ Wallpapers free?
HQ Wallpapers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flow Wallpapers or HQ Wallpapers?
HQ Wallpapers is rated higher. Flow Wallpapers averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while HQ Wallpapers averages 4.7 from 690 ratings.
Do Flow Wallpapers or HQ Wallpapers have ads?
HQ Wallpapers shows ads; Flow Wallpapers does not.
Which is updated more often, Flow Wallpapers or HQ Wallpapers?
Flow Wallpapers ships an update every 10 days, and HQ Wallpapers every 6 weeks. Most recently, Flow Wallpapers was updated on November 2, 2026 and HQ Wallpapers on November 2, 2026.

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