# MagicWidgets vs Widget Lab

The clearest difference is rating: MagicWidgets at 4.7 against Widget Lab's 3.9. MagicWidgets also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 398). Widget Lab's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MagicWidgets sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Widget Lab sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MagicWidgets holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MagicWidgets has 7.3K ratings behind it against 398, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of MagicWidgets's written reviews are positive against 31% of Widget Lab's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MagicWidgets | Widget Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicwidgets-photo-widgets/id1533414094/reviews)** | [3.9 (398 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widget-lab-standby-themes/id1574611121/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 398 |
| Positive reviews | **35.3% of reviews** | 31.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 265 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DXPLORER TECHNOLOGY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503310198) | [Ningbo If Technology Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483428587) |

## What reviewers say

### MagicWidgets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicwidgets-photo-widgets/id1533414094)

Personalize your device's lock and home screens with custom widgets. Add photos, text, clocks, calendars, and countdowns for important events. Choose from various styles and fonts to make your screen unique and functional.

**Highlights:** Lock screen widgets for iOS 16, Home screen customization, Photo and text widgets, Clock and calendar styles, Countdown timers for events, Customizable fonts and colors, Image upload from local album

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MagicWidgets Promotion | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌴 Customizable home screen
- 🎨 Variety of widget designs
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Slow loading times
- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🔍 Confusing navigation
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📺 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets not saving properly
- App crashes on certain devices
- Compatibility issues with older OS versions

**Requested features**

- More free widget options
- Ability to import custom images
- Improved widget customization
- Reduced ads or ad-free version


### Widget Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widget-lab-standby-themes/id1574611121)

Personalize your home screen with a variety of useful widgets. Track system info, enjoy daily poems, set countdowns for important dates, and make waiting times more enjoyable. More widgets are continuously being added.

**Highlights:** Personalize home screen, System Info Widget, Daily Poems Widget, Count Down Widget, Slack Off Widget, Customizable widgets

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Standby | Free | one-time |
| 时钟小组件 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Retro widget | $0.99 | one-time |
| Life Widget | $4.99 | one-time |
| musicwidget | $4.99 | one-time |
| Charge animation | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $15.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Cute and creative widgets
- 💖 Customizable lock screen options
- 🎵 Music sharing and playback features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches with widgets
- 💰 Many features require paid subscription
- 🌐 Language and localization issues
- 🔍 Difficulty connecting to music services

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets not displaying properly
- App crashes or fails to open
- Music playback issues and sync problems

**Requested features**

- Add more music service options (e.g. YouTube Music)
- Improve widget reliability and functionality
- Provide better language support and localization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MagicWidgets free?

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

### Is Widget Lab free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MagicWidgets or Widget Lab?

MagicWidgets is rated higher. MagicWidgets averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Widget Lab averages 3.9 from 398 ratings.

### Do MagicWidgets or Widget Lab have ads?

Widget Lab shows ads; MagicWidgets does not.

### Which is updated more often, MagicWidgets or Widget Lab?

MagicWidgets ships an update fortnightly, and Widget Lab fortnightly. Most recently, MagicWidgets was updated on September 20, 2026 and Widget Lab 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.*