Comparison

DU vs ca

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

Head to head
About

DU

Transform videos into extreme digital art with 37 unique filters. This experimental app allows you to digitally mangle and twist footage, creating unique visual effects. Save any frame as a still image or export the entire glitched-out video.

Highlights
  • 37 exclusive video filters
  • Apply filters in infinite combinations
  • Arrange video effects stack manually
  • Blend glitched video with original
  • Randomize filters for unique chaos
  • Save affected video frames as stills
Features
Read full description

:: DESTROY MOTION GRAPHICS ::: Transform any video into extreme digital art. Play on the intoxicating fringes of glitch video with 37 exclusive video filters. Be creative. Push the boundaries. Legendary music label Detroit Underground presents a totally new tool by the creator of DECIM8, designed to digitally mangle and twist your videos. DU-VFX is an experimental app for experimental people. The line-crossers, the button-pushers, the ones who don’t fit into basic boxes. Load up any video from your camera roll. Tap the randomize effects button. Find a VFX filter combination that makes your content POP - or explode into digital fragments of its former self. Scan through the frames of your video and export any affected frame as a still image. Activate and arrange the effects stack manually or rely completely on the nature of chaos - the choice is yours. • Load any video from your camera roll as source material • Apply 37 insane video filters in infinite combinations • Arrange and activate a video effects stack manually • Blend the glitched-out version with the original in 22 blend modes • Randomize filters for unique chaos • Optionally, parameters can drift and change over time • Save any effected video frame as a still image WARNING! THIS APP IS CAPABLE OF COMPLETELY DESTROYING A VIDEO. (You keep the original, of course!) If this doesn't appeal to you, there are LOTS of apps out there to provide all the "safe" effects you could ever want. If you're looking for something more, something new and unpredictable.. capable of making art that's challenging yet beautiful, then you are in the right place. Note : Currently video rendering must happen while the app is in the foreground. iOS may kill the app if backgrounded during render. We're looking into the best way around this.

About

ca

This app transforms your camera's live feed into unique, pixelated images and videos using cellular automata. Customize patterns with various color palettes, directions, rules, and resolutions for a retro aesthetic.

Highlights
  • Cellular automaton image interpretation
  • Pixelated output with unique patterns
  • Black and white or retro color palettes
  • Selfie and split camera modes
  • Video recording
  • Customizable automaton parameters
Features
Read full description

The successor of probably the nerdiest camera app ever made, ca-mera+ uses a cellular automaton to interpret the colors of your camera stream. The resulting images are pixelated and contain unique patterns created by cellular automata. The output can be black and white, or one of several retro color palettes (CGA 4 and 16 colors, 1-bit RGB, etc.). This app provides "selfie" and "split" modes, records video, and lets you change the appearance of the pictures by controlling the automaton application direction, its rules, the resolution, the input brightness, and the input fidelity (i.e. to which extent the cellular automaton is allowed to run freely).

Screenshots

DU4 screens
ca4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DU at Free against ca's $2.99. ca's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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

DU is free to download; ca costs $2.99 up front. DU sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ca asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ca holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 52 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of DU's written reviews are positive against 89% of ca's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DU ships an update every 4 months, ca monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DU versus ca: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDUca
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.5 (32 ratings)4.8 (52 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3252 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB2 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKris CollinsFritz Menzer

Customer experience

DU

All ratings32 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral5.9%
Negative23.5%

ca

All ratings52 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

DU

One-time1
  • Still Image Export$0.99
None

ca

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DU free?
DU is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ca free?
ca costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DU or ca?
ca is rated higher. DU averages 4.5 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while ca averages 4.8 from 52 ratings.
Do DU or ca have ads?
Neither DU nor ca shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DU or ca?
DU ships an update every 4 months, and ca monthly. Most recently, DU was updated on September 7, 2026 and ca on September 26, 2026.

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