# ShaderMania vs CGProto

The clearest difference is update cadence: CGProto at weekly against ShaderMania's every 16 months. CGProto also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). ShaderMania's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShaderMania sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and CGProto sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ShaderMania ships an update every 16 months, CGProto weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShaderMania | CGProto |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cgproto/id1605116861/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 24 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Markus Moenig](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448432881) | [雄龙 许](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605095075) |

## What reviewers say

### ShaderMania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadermania/id1541065830)

Create, edit, and share Metal shaders with a live coding environment and real-time preview. Explore a database of public and tutorial shaders, connect nodes to build complex effects, and export your creations. A physical keyboard is recommended for optimal use.

**Highlights:** Live coding of Metal fragment shaders, Real-time preview and playback, Node-based shader creation, Public shader database, Tutorial shaders with video links, Export shader output to PNG, Syntax checking and error display

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### CGProto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cgproto/id1605116861)

This app offers a node-based scripting editor for rapid prototyping and learning computer graphics. It provides a sandbox to easily write shaders and JavaScript for creating impressive CG effects.

**Highlights:** Node-based scripting editor, Rapid prototyping, Learn computer graphics, Shader writing (GLSL, HLSL, Metal, Unity ShaderLab), JavaScript scripting, Create CG effects

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShaderMania free?

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

### Is CGProto free?

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

### Do ShaderMania or CGProto have ads?

Neither ShaderMania nor CGProto shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ShaderMania or CGProto?

ShaderMania ships an update every 16 months, and CGProto weekly. Most recently, ShaderMania was updated on June 5, 2026 and CGProto on September 21, 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.*