# Blend Photos vs ImgRef

Blend Photos and ImgRef both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of ImgRef's written reviews are positive against 41% of Blend Photos's. ImgRef also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Blend Photos's advantage is ratings volume (466 vs 126). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blend Photos sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and ImgRef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Blend Photos against 4.7 for ImgRef. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 466 and 126 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Blend Photos's written reviews are positive against 79% of ImgRef's.

Blend Photos ships an update every 6 weeks, ImgRef every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blend Photos | ImgRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (466 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blend-photos/id1556594831/reviews)** | [4.7 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imgref/id6742316732/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **466** | 126 |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **78.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 183 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TAPUNIVERSE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462862671) | [文荣 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797720895) |

## What reviewers say

### Blend Photos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blend-photos/id1556594831)

Easily create unique blended photo artwork with premade templates and advanced editing tools. Enhance your images with creative filters, overlays, and AI-powered background removal. Share your professional-looking creations instantly.

**Highlights:** Blend editing templates, Automatic background removal, Advanced blend mode adjustment, Shape mask for overlays, Gradient blend, Crop & rotation, HD resolution saving & sharing

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blend Photos+ | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Blend Photos+ | $19.99 | per year |
| Blend Photos+ Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎨 Variety of templates and customization options
- ✨ Impressive AI-powered results
- 🎯 Straightforward and impactful functionality
- 💪 Powerful photo composite creation tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription-only model (no one-time purchase)
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- ❌ Blank screen/white screen on startup
- ⚠️ Misleading free trial billing practices
- 🔄 App becomes unresponsive during image processing

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after updates
- Blank/white screen preventing app usage
- Freezing on progress wheel during image import
- Unable to upgrade app functionality
- Image creation feature stops working

**Requested features**

- One-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Ability to add custom overlays beyond templates
- AI-powered generative fill for blank spaces
- Additional templates (starry night sky, beach scenes)
- More advanced editing options and features


### ImgRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imgref/id6742316732)

This app is an all-in-one creative tool for mood boards, reference images, and collaging. It offers smart asset management, precise color picking, and free-form layout capabilities across multiple devices. Designed for various creative professionals, it streamlines workflows with advanced editing and import/export features.

**Highlights:** Unlimited canvas with smart caching, Multi-select batch processing, Professional workflow with keyboard shortcuts, Image editing and adjustments, Dynamic color picker, Cross-platform support (iOS/macOS), Video frame extraction, GIF decomposition

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pro_monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| ImgRef Annual Subscription | $5.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great alternative to Vizref
- 👍 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Lots of features Vizref doesn't have
- 👍 Satisfying image compilation
- 👍 Lovely app and intuitive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Monotonous image selection and movement
- 👎 Unappealing UI

**Reported bugs**

- Trouble importing images from other apps

**Requested features**

- Add cropping functionality
- Implement doodle/text feature for notes
- Add GIF frame reading function


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blend Photos free?

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

### Is ImgRef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Blend Photos or ImgRef?

Blend Photos is rated higher. Blend Photos averages 4.8 out of 5 from 466 ratings, while ImgRef averages 4.7 from 126 ratings.

### Do Blend Photos or ImgRef have ads?

Neither Blend Photos nor ImgRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blend Photos or ImgRef?

Blend Photos ships an update every 6 weeks, and ImgRef every 2 days. Most recently, Blend Photos was updated on October 24, 2026 and ImgRef on October 30, 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.*