# POLYCAM vs SHADR

The clearest difference is price: SHADR at Free against POLYCAM's $4.99. SHADR also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). POLYCAM's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#152 vs unranked). On ads there is nothing between them.

SHADR is free to download; POLYCAM costs $4.99 up front. SHADR sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. POLYCAM asks for nothing beyond the download.

SHADR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POLYCAM has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

POLYCAM ships an update every 6 weeks, SHADR weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | POLYCAM | SHADR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polycam/id1485113666/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadr-creative-visual-tools/id6791651572/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#152** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Narumi Inada](https://appshunter.io/developer/1347729163) | [伟滔 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854271192) |

## What reviewers say

### POLYCAM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polycam/id1485113666)

**Currently charting:** #152 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Create unique visual effects by combining over 150 built-in filters. This app allows for real-time camera input manipulation, loading existing media, and exporting high-quality videos. Customize parameters with sliders, LFOs, or sensor data for interactive visualizers.

**Highlights:** Combine over 150 built-in filters, Create and save custom filter chains, Real-time camera input processing, Load and export existing images/videos, Adjustable filter parameters, Interactive audio visualizers, Full-screen output with smooth transitions

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SHADR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadr-creative-visual-tools/id6791651572)

Transform photos and blank canvases into unique visual art with a variety of creative styles. Refine your creations with expressive controls and discover new directions through generative randomization. Export still images or live photos and videos.

**Highlights:** Diverse and evolving collection of creative visual styles, Generative randomization for discovering new directions, Focused controls for refining composition, color, texture, and movement, Still image export at native resolution, Live Photo and video output, Local projects and reusable presets

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SHADR Pro Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| SHADR Pro Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is POLYCAM free?

POLYCAM costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SHADR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, POLYCAM or SHADR?

SHADR is rated higher. POLYCAM averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SHADR averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do POLYCAM or SHADR have ads?

Neither POLYCAM nor SHADR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, POLYCAM or SHADR?

POLYCAM ships an update every 6 weeks, and SHADR weekly. Most recently, POLYCAM was updated on October 29, 2026 and SHADR on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*