Comparison

Phantom Cam vs Altered States

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

Head to head
About

Phantom Cam

Transform ordinary scenes into mesmerizing flows of ghostly particles. Capture still photos or record haunting videos, bending reality with dynamic particles that swirl and dance. Adjust speed, density, and color to craft your own eerie atmosphere.

Highlights
  • Capture still photos and videos
  • Adjustable particle count (64k to 2 million)
  • Real-time particle motion control
  • Customizable particle colors
  • Resolution presets
  • Camera zoom and autofocus
  • Portrait and landscape support
Features
Read full description

Phantom Cam – Capture the Unseen What if the world around you wasn’t as solid as it seems? Phantom Cam reveals the hidden chaos beneath reality, transforming ordinary scenes into mesmerizing flows of ghostly particles. Shadows dissolve, objects shimmer, and faces melt into spectral echoes—like a glimpse into another dimension. Take still photos or record haunting videos, bending reality with thousands of dynamic particles that swirl, dance, and reform before your eyes. Adjust speed, density, and color to craft your own eerie atmosphere. Whether you're seeking mysterious portraits, surreal landscapes, or pure visual experimentation, this app lets you shape the unseen. Features: - Capture Still Photos & Videos – Freeze ghostly moments or film the shifting unknown. - Adjustable Particle Count – Choose from 64,000 to 2 million particles for the perfect spectral effect. - Real-Time Particle Motion – Control speed and intensity for dynamic movement. - Color Customization – Add eerie hues or stick to classic monochrome. - Resolution Presets – Adjust Camera Quality and Detail Level. - Camera Zoom & Autofocus – Get closer and sharper to the otherworldly. - Portrait & Landscape Support – Capture from any angle. - Perfected Aspect Ratio – No distortions, only haunting beauty. - Refined UI – Smooth, intuitive, and immersive. - No Ads. No In-App Purchases. Just Pure Visual Magic. Whether you're creating eerie selfies, ghostly landscapes, or surreal art, Phantom Cam lets you step beyond the ordinary—without filters, just pure generative magic. Download now and reveal the unseen.

About

Altered States

Read full description

Altered States turns your iPhone camera into a real-time visual effects engine. Stack up to 30 effects across 6 independent layers, let music drive your visuals, and capture the result as full-resolution video. — EFFECTS — Over 30 GPU-powered effects in five categories: WARP: Ultrawarp, Shockwave, Wave, Vortex, Kaleidoscope, Cascade, Fisheye, Curl Drift, Mirror Warp GLITCH: Pixel Sort, Streak, Self-Glitch, JPEG Artefact, Chromatic Aberration, Feedback Loop, Radial Blur, CRT, Bloom COLOR: LSD, Neon, Thermal, Solarise, Curves, GORE, MAYHEM, LUST, Dither, Contour Lines FX: Datamosh, Halftone, ASCII Art, Blob Tracking, Pixelate, Numeric Art GEN: Plasma, Tunnel, Lattice, Pattern — MULTI-LAYER — Stack up to 6 independent source layers - live camera, imported photos, or looping videos - each with its own effect chain, blend mode, and opacity. Rearrange layers by dragging, or hide any layer instantly. — AUDIO REACTIVE — Connect the camera to your music. Bass, mid, highs, and beat transients each drive your effect parameters in real time. Map any parameter to any frequency band. Tweak sensitivity and depth on the fly. — RECORD — Record full-resolution video directly from the live canvas. Mic audio is captured alongside the visual effects and merged automatically. Save to your photo library with one tap. — PRESETS — Save your favourite effect stacks as presets with a thumbnail snapshot. Recall them instantly from the Presets panel. — TOOLS — - Shake to generate a random 3-5 effect combination instantly - Per-effect parameter curves editor - Canvas transform: pan, pinch, rotate each layer freely - 8 mirror modes: vertical, horizontal, triple, quad, diagonal - Cortex Gate: luminance-based per-layer masking - Undo history with a visual timeline Altered States is built for performers, creators, and anyone who wants their camera to do something it was never supposed to do. By subscribing, you agree to Apple's Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Phantom Cam4 screens
Altered States4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Altered States at Free against Phantom Cam's $1.99. Altered States also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 33 months). Phantom Cam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.2). On ads and device support 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

Altered States is free to download; Phantom Cam costs $1.99 up front. Altered States sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Phantom Cam asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phantom Cam ships an update every 33 months, Altered States every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Phantom Cam versus Altered States: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhantom CamAltered States
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (16 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 33 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.2
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB31 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperPhilippe ZayKwong Wa Chu

In-app purchases

None

Phantom Cam

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Altered States

Subscriptions2
  • Altered States Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Altered States Pro Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Phantom Cam free?
Phantom Cam costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Altered States free?
Altered States is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Phantom Cam or Altered States have ads?
Neither Phantom Cam nor Altered States shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phantom Cam or Altered States?
Phantom Cam ships an update every 33 months, and Altered States every 5 days. Most recently, Phantom Cam was updated on November 3, 2026 and Altered States on November 5, 2026.

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