# Backgroundia vs smART STIX

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: smART STIX at none against Backgroundia's 3. Backgroundia's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 3) and rating (1.5 vs 1.3). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backgroundia sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. smART STIX asks for nothing beyond the download.

Backgroundia holds the better App Store score, 1.5 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgroundia has 1.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Backgroundia ships an update every 6 months, smART STIX every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backgroundia | smART STIX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.5 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgroundia/id1485917915/reviews)** | [1.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-stix/id1564698752/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 2.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yolo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485917914) | [FlyCatcher Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/841991396) |

## What reviewers say

### Backgroundia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgroundia/id1485917915)

Discover fresh, unique daily content to personalize your iPhone and iPad. Easily build a library of backgrounds, including special holiday and seasonal themes, and share them with friends.

**Highlights:** Daily fresh content, Unique backgrounds, Holiday and seasonal themes, Build background library, Share with friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro | $29.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Ability to bypass free trial
- 👍 Some nice background images

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Misleading advertising
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🚫 Lack of advertised features
- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🚫 Limited selection of backgrounds

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription charges despite cancellation
- Inability to access app without subscribing

**Requested features**

- More free background options
- Ability to preview content before subscribing


### smART STIX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-stix/id1564698752)

This app guides users through building projects using bendable rods and connectors. Select a blueprint, measure and cut materials with the workbench, then follow interactive instructions to construct your design.

**Highlights:** Blueprint selection, Interactive step-by-step instructions, Material measurement and cutting guide, Design construction guidance

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backgroundia free?

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

### Is smART STIX free?

smART STIX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Backgroundia or smART STIX?

Backgroundia is rated higher. Backgroundia averages 1.5 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while smART STIX averages 1.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Backgroundia or smART STIX have ads?

Neither Backgroundia nor smART STIX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backgroundia or smART STIX?

Backgroundia ships an update every 6 months, and smART STIX every 5 months. Most recently, Backgroundia was updated on October 12, 2026 and smART STIX on October 6, 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.*