# Shade vs Goblin Node

The clearest difference is price: Goblin Node at Free against Shade's $19.99. Goblin Node also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). Shade's advantage is ratings volume (124 vs 2) and chart position (#170 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Goblin Node is free to download; Shade costs $19.99 up front. Shade sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Goblin Node sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goblin Node holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shade has 124 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Shade ships an update every 6 weeks, Goblin Node every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shade | Goblin Node |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shade/id1402522815/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goblin-node-texture-lab/id6759722832/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **124** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#170** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Two Lives Left](https://appshunter.io/developer/335953314) | [Rainer Weston](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880351882) |

## What reviewers say

### Shade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shade/id1402522815)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Design complex visual effects with a node-based shader editor. Create and render real-time shader graphs with intuitive controls and extensive node options. Export your creations for use in game development and other applications.

**Highlights:** Node-based shader graph creation, Real-time rendering preview, Connection stacking and automatic swizzling, Over 100 shader nodes, Drag-and-drop image import, AR previews including Face AR, Export to Unity 3D and Codea

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14-day Trial | Free | one-time |
| Shade Pro | Free | one-time |
| Shade Pro Upgrade | Free | one-time |
| Shade Standard | $15.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Amazing app for shaders
- 💡 Commendable bringing shaders to iPad
- 👍 Intuitive and useful
- 🚀 Great for sketching shaders on the go
- 🌟 High quality visuals on iPad

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔥 Generates significant heat
- 💸 Requires payment to create/export
- ❓ Unclear pricing and trial information
- 📉 Export options limited

**Reported bugs**

- Curvature node crashes the program
- Closing function node crashes and saves incorrectly
- Failed to create new shaders
- iOS 17 crashes the app
- App crashes when opening most shaders

**Requested features**

- Edit shader code manually
- Add Mac support
- Port Blender to iOS
- Add UE4 support
- Add light node (direction, position)


### Goblin Node

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goblin-node-texture-lab/id6759722832)

Create professional PBR textures and materials on your iPad with a touch-first, non-destructive procedural workflow. Generate reusable patterns, tileable surfaces, and complete material suites anywhere inspiration strikes, without needing a desktop rig.

**Highlights:** Touch-native procedural texturing, Non-destructive workflow, Modular material generation, PBR material suite creation, 100+ nodes including generators, 3D preview engine, One-time purchase for pro features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shade free?

Shade costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Goblin Node free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shade or Goblin Node?

Goblin Node is rated higher. Shade averages 4.3 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while Goblin Node averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Shade or Goblin Node have ads?

Neither Shade nor Goblin Node shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shade or Goblin Node?

Shade ships an update every 6 weeks, and Goblin Node every 9 days. Most recently, Shade was updated on October 9, 2026 and Goblin Node on September 30, 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.*