Comparison

CUSTOM CAST vs PhotoNote

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

Head to head
About

CUSTOM CAST

Design unique 3D characters with extensive customization options for body parts, clothing, and accessories. Save multiple creations, pose them for social media, or use them as a virtual avatar for live streaming with facial tracking and AR capabilities.

Highlights
  • Extensive character customization
  • Save multiple character designs
  • Social media sharing with stickers/frames
  • Virtual streamer functionality
  • Facial motion tracking
  • AR integration
Read full description

"Create your very own 3D character!" Choose from a variety of body parts and clothes, and create your very own 3D character from an infinite combination of parts. You can create your very own 3D character from a rich and wide variety of customization parts, such as hairstyle, clothes, skin color, face type and accessories. You can also create and save multiple 3D characters. You can use different characters, or enjoy dressing them up by changing their outfits and hairstyles. ------------------------------------------------- "Post on social media!" Take screenshots of your customized 3D characters making various expressions and poses using the app, and post them on social media! You can also decorate your screenshots with cute stickers and frames. Show off the 3D models that you created! ------------------------------------------------- "Let's stream!" You can start streaming as a virtual streamer using your created 3D character. Your face will be detected by the camera on your device, and your 3D characters will move based on your movements, such as tilting or turning your head. You can also use the gyro function to create immersive streams, and use Flicks to make your character do specific poses. The AR function is also available for iPhone X and later models to integrate the real world with your stream. Perhaps you can even become a virtual streamer in the real world...!? ------------------------------------------------- [Operating environment] iOS 15 or higher 1GB free storage or more

About

PhotoNote

Create private, social media-style notes with customizable icons and titles. This app functions as a personal diary, allowing you to add images and search your entries. Your notes are stored locally and are not shared with anyone.

Highlights
  • Social media-style note creation
  • Private and local storage
  • Customizable icons and titles
  • Image insertion
  • Search functionality
  • Diary entries
Features
Read full description

An unofficial Social style notepad. Your notes will not be shared with others and will be stored within the app. You can freely set the icon, title, etc., and create a talk freely. diary function ・ Memo function ・ Search function ・ Image insertion function ・ Sharing function Precautions -Access the file for the convenience of saving memos and images on the terminal. -Depending on the terminal, the operation may be slow. ・ I would like to make more and more improvements and corrections. ・ This app is an unofficial support app. It has nothing to do with the app I made this time. ・ We would appreciate it if you could understand the above. Free images are used for the images such as icons used. I got it from the following sites. ・ Http://icooon-mono.com/ ・ Https://iconmonstr.com/ ・ Https://www.fluttericon.com/ If you receive a deletion request from the official etc. for this application, we will delete this application immediately. I am making an AppTrackingTransparency permission request when the app is launched. terms of service (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ privacy: https://chartreuxxx.net/twinote-privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

CUSTOM CAST4 screens
PhotoNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PhotoNote at 4.4 against CUSTOM CAST's 3.4. PhotoNote also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 48%) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 weeks). CUSTOM CAST's advantage is ratings volume (4K vs 227). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. CUSTOM CAST sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and PhotoNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PhotoNote holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CUSTOM CAST has 4K ratings behind it against 227, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of CUSTOM CAST's written reviews are positive against 82% of PhotoNote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CUSTOM CAST ships an update every 5 weeks, PhotoNote every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CUSTOM CAST versus PhotoNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCUSTOM CASTPhotoNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (4K ratings)4.4 (227 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.1% of reviews81.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4K — better227
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size896 MB85 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDWANGO Co., Ltd.Kiduku Hoshida

Customer experience

CUSTOM CAST

All ratings3,980 ratings
Positive56.9%
Neutral12.1%
Negative31.0%
Written reviews1,078 reviews
Positive48.1%
Neutral16.2%
Negative35.6%

PhotoNote

All ratings223 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral5.4%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews369 reviews
Positive81.6%
Neutral14.6%
Negative3.8%

User reviews

CUSTOM CAST

From 4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐️ Excellent character customization
  • 🎨 Wide variety of clothing and accessories
  • 📹 Useful VTuber features
  • 🎨 Highly creative and fun

Room to improve

  • ⏳ Lengthy download and loading times
  • 🔍 Limited male clothing options
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs

PhotoNote

From 227 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤍 Great app for visualizing character profiles
  • 💫 Feels like a real Instagram experience
  • 🎨 Allows for creative expression
  • 🔒 No ads or distractions
  • 🧑‍💻 Helpful for reality shifting scripts

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with deleting accounts
  • 🤔 Limited photo/video options
  • 📱 Cropping issues with stories
  • 🔀 Difficulty rearranging posts/accounts

Bugs and requests

CUSTOM CAST

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Black screen issues when customizing characters
  • Glitches with clothing and accessories
  • Tracking and camera issues
  • Inconsistent performance and crashes

Requested features

6 requests
  • More free clothing and accessory options
  • Ability to customize hair color and facial features
  • More diverse body types and skin tones
  • Improved performance and reduced loading times
  • Add more male-oriented clothing and styles
Show 1 more
  • Ability to save and export character designs

PhotoNote

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Likes and comments not displaying properly
  • Inability to select photos when posting
  • Laggy performance on certain devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add story highlights
  • Increase number of photos per post
  • Implement video posting capabilities
  • Add direct messaging and group chat features
  • Improve comment section functionality
Show 1 more
  • Introduce AI-generated comments and interactions

In-app purchases

6 purchases

CUSTOM CAST

One-time6
  • 160cc$0.99
  • 480cc$2.99
  • 1000cc$5.99
Show 3 more
  • 3000cc$19.99
  • 6000cc$39.99
  • 10000cc$59.99
3 purchases

PhotoNote

Subscriptions2
  • Subscription (1 Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Subscription (annual)$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Hide Ads$1.99

Questions

Is CUSTOM CAST free?
CUSTOM CAST is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PhotoNote free?
PhotoNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CUSTOM CAST or PhotoNote?
PhotoNote is rated higher. CUSTOM CAST averages 3.4 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while PhotoNote averages 4.4 from 227 ratings.
Do CUSTOM CAST or PhotoNote have ads?
Both CUSTOM CAST and PhotoNote show ads.
Which is updated more often, CUSTOM CAST or PhotoNote?
CUSTOM CAST ships an update every 5 weeks, and PhotoNote every 11 days. Most recently, CUSTOM CAST was updated on November 3, 2026 and PhotoNote on November 3, 2026.

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