# Retouch Photo vs PaintUp

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PaintUp at 100% against Retouch Photo's 33%. PaintUp also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Retouch Photo's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retouch Photo sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and PaintUp sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PaintUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retouch Photo has 19K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Retouch Photo's written reviews are positive against 100% of PaintUp's.

Retouch Photo ships an update every 2 weeks, PaintUp every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retouch Photo | PaintUp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retouch-photo-remove-objects/id1488926745/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintup-remove-objects/id6468915481/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 33.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 180 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yalex FZC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/907980110) | [Karolis Raiselis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1442359782) |

## What reviewers say

### Retouch Photo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retouch-photo-remove-objects/id1488926745)

Effortlessly remove unwanted objects, photobombers, and imperfections from your photos. This AI-powered editor offers intuitive tools to declutter backgrounds, whiten teeth, and even alter dimensions for perfect shots.

**Highlights:** AI object removal, People auto-detection, Background replacement/blur, Clone stamp tool, Teeth whitening, Stretching tool

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retouch AI - 1 Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Retouch AI - 1 Month | $5.99 | per month |
| Retouch AI - 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Retouch AI - 1 Month | $8.99 | per month |
| Retouch AI - 12 Months | $44.99 | per year |
| Retouch AI - Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Excellent object removal
- ⭐ Great results
- 👌 Accurate and precise

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for core features
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🤔 Inconsistent performance
- 💸 Expensive subscription
- 🙄 Misleading advertising

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel
- Unexpected errors when trying to use features

**Requested features**

- More free features
- Ability to customize background replacement
- Landscape mode support
- Improved customer support


### PaintUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintup-remove-objects/id6468915481)

Effortlessly remove unwanted objects, blemishes, and distractions from your photos to achieve stunning, picture-perfect results. This user-friendly tool offers professional-quality editing for everyone, from photographers to casual users. Enhance your memories and share flawless images with ease.

**Highlights:** Object removal, Blemish correction, User-friendly interface, High-quality results, Save and share functionality, Regular updates

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PaintUp Premium | $0.99 | one-time |
| PaintUp Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retouch Photo free?

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

### Is PaintUp free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retouch Photo or PaintUp?

PaintUp is rated higher. Retouch Photo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while PaintUp averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Retouch Photo or PaintUp have ads?

Neither Retouch Photo nor PaintUp shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Retouch Photo or PaintUp?

Retouch Photo ships an update every 2 weeks, and PaintUp every 2 months. Most recently, Retouch Photo was updated on October 2, 2026 and PaintUp on September 23, 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.*