# Pocket Lantern vs Socky

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pocket Lantern at none against Socky's 10. Pocket Lantern also leads on ads (none vs shown). Socky's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 77 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Socky sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Pocket Lantern asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pocket Lantern ships an update every 77 months, Socky weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Lantern | Socky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socky/id6747600526/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 77 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Hrayr Movsisyan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506516156) | [Curious Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/309017449) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Lantern

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-lantern/id1510650518)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Socky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socky/id6747600526)

Transform any image or video into a puppet and bring it to life with your own voice and face. Create unique characters using AI tools or a library of pre-made puppets, then perform and share your shows.

**Highlights:** Turn any image into a puppet, AI puppet creation from text prompts, Face-tracking for voice performance, Library of ready-made puppets, Perform and share video shows, Create endless content with AI puppets

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Puppet | $4.99 | per month |
| Sock Puppet | $4.99 | per month |
| Puppeteer | $7.99 | per month |
| AI Puppet | $7.99 | per month |
| AI Sock Puppet | $7.99 | per month |
| Puppet Master | $9.99 | per month |
| AI Puppeteer | $17.99 | per month |
| AI Puppet Master | $34.99 | per month |
| Puppet Pack - Drawings With Doofus | $2.99 | one-time |
| Puppet Pack - Wonderland Collection | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Lantern free?

Pocket Lantern is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Socky free?

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

### Do Pocket Lantern or Socky have ads?

Socky shows ads; Pocket Lantern does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Lantern or Socky?

Pocket Lantern ships an update every 77 months, and Socky weekly. Most recently, Pocket Lantern was updated on November 3, 2026 and Socky on November 5, 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.*