Comparison

Photo Widget․ vs StandBy

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

Head to head
About

Photo Widget․

Personalize your device's home screen by adding widgets that display your cherished photos. Organize pictures into collections and choose between ordered or random playback. Optionally, add dates and custom text to your widgets for a unique touch.

Highlights
  • Unlimited photo widgets
  • Unlimited photo collections
  • Reframing photos for display
  • Ordered or random photo playback
  • Add custom text notes
  • Display current date
Features
Read full description

◆◆◆ Photo Widget for iOS 14 is here ◆◆◆ Create unlimited photo widgets and add your favorite photos to your Home Screen. 1. Create a photo collection in the app. 2. Add a photo widget in your preferred size. 3. Long press to configure the photo widget to show your photo collection. Optionally you can configure the photo widget to show date and text. FEATURES: - Create unlimited widgets. Each can be configured to show different photo collection. - Create unlimited photo collections. - Reframe photos to display in frame correctly. - Photos in a collection can be shown in order or random. - Write your notes to your widget with configured option. - Show date with your widget. PhotoBox+: • You can subscribe to PhotoBox+ to unlock advanced featured & unlimited photos. • Subscription auto-renew at the end of current period, unless cancelled 24-hours in advance prior to the end of the current period. The subscription fee is charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. You may manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Per Apple policy, no cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Once purchased, refunds will not be provided for any unused portion of the term. Terms of use: https://tapuniverse.com/terms/ Privacy policy: https://tapuniverse.com/policy/

About

StandBy

Transform your iPhone into a smart bedside display while charging. View widgets like clocks, calendars, and photos in landscape mode. Customize themes for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Smart landscape display mode
  • Bedside clock functionality
  • Digital photo frame
  • Customizable widgets (clock, calendar, photo)
  • Themed interfaces
  • Pro features with subscription
Features
Read full description

The Standby app allows you to have a smart landscape display mode for iPhone while it’s charging. It allows you to turn your iPhone into a bedside clock, a digital photo frame, a display for viewing widgets. You can add different clock and analogue widgets, calendar widgets, photo widgets and more. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” - Colossians 3:17 Subscription: - You can subscribe to unlimited access for pro features including all access to widgets, all custom themes, new updates and much more. - Standby+ offers unlimited usage and unlocks all features for $19.99USD* every 6 months. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at the confirmation of purchase. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that content. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. *This price is for United States customers. Pricing may differ depending on your country and actual charges may be converted to your local currency of residence. The prices are equal to “Apple’s App Store Matrix” which determines the equivalent subscription price in USD. Press- info.standbyapp@gmail.com For more info: info.standbyapp@gmail.com Links to our Terms and Privacy Policy can be found below: Terms: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jq78Iow5g8ryW3AZBR8pxeU6Z1n2NTTFT8xP2MGxso0/edit?usp=sharing Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YCodB8HjHChsQtxqZJzAy657IXO8J4AX0V0APVRf6nw/edit?usp=sharing Support: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tXq1mTcWa0NTIm7k5tHszB7Fy226cNYMuFZkE9w0OwE/edit?usp=sharing Note: All content, resources and designs contained in the Standby application are the sole property of Twinstar Creatives and are protected under copyright and intellectual property laws. Any unauthorized use or breach of our copyright may result in legal consequences.

Screenshots

Photo Widget․4 screens
StandBy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Photo Widget․ at 4.7 against StandBy's 3.3. Photo Widget․ also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 8 days) and ratings volume (604 vs 44). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Photo Widget․ sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year and StandBy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Photo Widget․ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Photo Widget․ has 604 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of Photo Widget․'s written reviews are positive against 60% of StandBy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Photo Widget․ ships an update daily, StandBy every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Photo Widget․ versus StandBy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhoto Widget․StandBy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (604 ratings) — better3.3 (44 ratings)
Positive reviews52.5% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings604 — better44
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTAPUNIVERSE LLCTwinstar Creatives

Customer experience

Photo Widget․

All ratings598 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive52.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative42.5%

StandBy

All ratings44 ratings
Positive56.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative43.2%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

User reviews

Photo Widget․

From 604 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and user-friendly interface
  • 🎨 Smooth slideshow functionality
  • 📱 Works well as a home screen widget
  • ⚡ Easy to set up and use
  • 🖼️ Supports photo uploads from albums

Room to improve

  • 💰 Aggressive subscription model with limited free tier
  • 🚫 Free version restricted to one collection only
  • 😤 Misleading 'free' trial offers (3-day trial disguised as free)
  • 🔄 Switched from one-time purchase to subscription
  • ⚠️ Expensive pricing ($20/month mentioned)

StandBy

From 44 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🎨 Creative customization options
  • ✨ Visually appealing designs
  • ✅ Works as intended (for some)
  • 💰 One-time purchase (for some)

Room to improve

  • 💸 App requires payment
  • 🚫 Widgets are paid
  • 📉 Limited free designs
  • 💰 Greedy money grab
  • ❌ Non-functional without payment

Bugs and requests

Photo Widget․

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes when importing over 100 photos
  • High crash risk at 500+ photo imports
  • Widget fails to update even after selecting album and interval
  • App doesn't work reliably (multiple reports)
  • Widget not appearing on device after setup

Requested features

6 requests
  • Lifetime purchase option instead of subscription
  • Photo cropping functionality
  • Day of week display in date format
  • Smaller font size options
  • Live Photo icon widget style
Show 1 more
  • Ability to select specific photos in free version

StandBy

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Clock not accurate
  • Standby widgets not working (weather, date)
  • Weather widget does not recognize location
  • Weather widget fails to update in standby/homescreen
  • App doesn't request location permissions for weather
Show 1 more
  • Buttons turn green without confirmation after granting permissions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Fix standby widgets (weather, date)
  • Improve weather widget location recognition
  • Make app functional without immediate payment
  • Add more diverse widget designs

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Photo Widget․

Subscriptions1
  • PhotoBox+3 Days trial$19.991 Year
2 purchases

StandBy

Subscriptions1
  • StandBy+$19.996 Months
One-time1
  • StandBy+$9.99

Questions

Is Photo Widget․ free?
Photo Widget․ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StandBy free?
StandBy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Photo Widget․ or StandBy?
Photo Widget․ is rated higher. Photo Widget․ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 604 ratings, while StandBy averages 3.3 from 44 ratings.
Do Photo Widget․ or StandBy have ads?
Neither Photo Widget․ nor StandBy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Photo Widget․ or StandBy?
Photo Widget․ ships an update daily, and StandBy every 8 days. Most recently, Photo Widget․ was updated on October 25, 2026 and StandBy on October 24, 2026.

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