Comparison

ProductionCrate vs Simulon

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

Head to head
About

ProductionCrate

Easily add superpowers, explosions, and fire effects to your videos in seconds. This mobile VFX studio uses real-time motion tracking and 3D rendering to create immersive special effects without requiring technical knowledge. Access a vast library of assets to enhance your video content.

Highlights
  • 10,000+ video FX
  • Real-time motion tracking
  • 3D rendering
  • No green screen required
  • Intuitive timing control
  • Access to all current and future special FX
Read full description

Add superpowers, explosions and fire VFX to your video instantly. While Hollywood movies take years to produce, ProductionCrate FX is the first mobile VFX studio that allows you to create exciting special effects in seconds. Built with flawless real-time motion tracking and 3D rendering, you have the power to create incredibly immersive video fx without any technical knowledge required. Simply add lightning, magic and spaceship fx into your scene, and hit record! ProductionCrate AR features: 10,000+ video FX 400+ high-quality 3D models Real-time camera tracking for your VFX Record, save and share your videos instantly Real-time foreground keying, no green screen required! Control over effect scale, rotation, brightness and more Intuitive timing control for timing your effects perfectly. Customizable trigger buttons to activate events Support for Front and Back camera Freedom to organize, delete and download new special fx. We've made high-end Hollywood effects accessible even to beginners by creating an effortless intuitive AR editing experience. You're in control of an unprecedented professional library of visual effects assets and are free to position them into augmented reality with the tap of a finger. Any video artist can use this app to compose lasers, dragons and spells with full control over its integration. ProductionCrate is constantly growing the selection of digital effects available for our community of mobile content creators. With this app, you'll have access to all current and future special fx forever. Pro ProductionCrate users will have unlimited access to everything on offer, while Free users can still access an exciting selection of effects. Inspire and stand out from the crowd by using ProductionCrate FX to build high production-value videos for your social media. You'll be able to produce short videos with incredible special effects without hours of additional work - helping you become an efficient video creator. This app will become your secret weapon to gain a competitive edge. Rapidly prototype effects for your film projects and use ProductionCrate FX as a previsualization platform. The vast selection of assets available makes this the perfect environment to plan out complex effects when working on a large project. By taking advantage of ProductionCrate FX's portability, you'll be able to collaborate and communicate ideas on-set, and instantly visualize these with your actors. Use ProductionCrate FX to learn the fundamentals of VFX. 3D tracking, blocking and lighting all become intuitive concepts to users of this app. Try placing a bright orange light source (such as a bulb, LED’s or a laptop screen) in the position of a fire effect, and you'll instantly recognise how practical lighting combined with ProductionCrate FX's digital effects work together to create a realistic image. ProductionCrate FX offers Free access to a limited range of content. Pro Membership unlocks access to the entire range of 10,000+ effects and 3D models. Payment will be charged either weekly, monthly or annually (dependant on selection) to your Apple account after upgrading to a Pro membership. You can cancel your Pro membership at any time. You will retain the features of Pro membership until the end of your current subscription period. Requires iOS 14 iPhone/iPad+ We would love to hear your feedback, ideas and questions. Contact us! Support@ProductionCrate.com TOS: https://www.productioncrate.com/legal/mobile-apps/TERMS.pdf

About

Simulon

Create studio-quality visual effects by integrating photorealistic 3D elements into live-action footage. This tool offers an end-to-end VFX workflow on iPhone, from capture to render, adapting to all skill levels. Preview 3D assets in-camera as you film and reconstruct environments in 3D for precise compositing.

Highlights
  • End-to-end VFX workflow on iPhone
  • In-camera CG preview while filming
  • Instant 32-bit HDR lighting
  • Reconstruct reality in 3D
  • Camera-accurate realism
  • Import industry-standard 3D files
  • Cloud render farm integration
Read full description

Simulon is a high-fidelity visual effects tool designed for creators and studios who demand uncompromising quality. Whether you’re new to 3D or an experienced artist, Simulon makes it effortless to integrate photorealistic 3D elements into live-action footage with precision and ease. • End-to-end VFX workflow on iPhone – From capture to final render, the entire pipeline is unified into one app. • Adapts to every skill level – Accessible for beginners, powerful for pros. Capabilities scale with your expertise. • In-Camera CG as you film – Preview and frame 3D assets directly in the iPhone viewfinder while recording, so shots are composed right the first time. • Instant 32-bit HDR lighting - Simulon generates a full 360° HDRI in seconds. No special gear or software required. • Reconstruct reality in 3D – Reconstruct your environment as a scale-accurate 3D mesh with world anchors, ready for occlusion, shadows, and set extensions. • Camera-accurate realism – Emulates iPhone sensor data to match light, color, depth, and motion frame-by-frame. • Fast asset pipeline – Import industry-standard 3D files in minutes. • Desktop integration – Remote authoring and non-destructive sync with Blender via • Cloud render farm. On demand - Distributed path-traced renders up to 4K. Multi-layer EXRs when you need them. Copyright Policy, Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions - https://simulon.com/legal

Screenshots

ProductionCrate4 screens
Simulon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Simulon at 4.4 against ProductionCrate's 4.0. Simulon also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). ProductionCrate's advantage is ratings volume (302 vs 29) and device support (3 vs 1). 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. ProductionCrate sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Simulon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simulon holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ProductionCrate has 302 ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of ProductionCrate's written reviews are positive against 64% of Simulon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ProductionCrate ships an update monthly, Simulon every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ProductionCrate versus Simulon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProductionCrateSimulon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (302 ratings)4.4 (29 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.9% of reviews64.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings302 — better29
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB877 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPRODUCTIONCRATE STUDIOS LLCSimulon

Customer experience

ProductionCrate

All ratings244 ratings
Positive70.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative23.0%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive58.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative33.9%

Simulon

All ratings29 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative35.7%

Bugs and requests

ProductionCrate

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Download limit exceeded error even without downloads
  • Free effects are actually paid
  • Camera is extremely slow, like 1 frame per minute
  • Effects disappear when moved
  • Login issues even with paid subscription
Show 1 more
  • Can't use videos from camera roll

Requested features

10 requests
  • More free VFX effects
  • Vampire, werewolf, and other monster filters
  • Add sound effects
  • Allow horizontal orientation
  • More free effects, less premium content
Show 5 more
  • Add ability to record and then add effects
  • Allow editing of already filmed videos
  • Add custom sound effects
  • Improve cutout and 3D object handling
  • Add Kamehameha effect

Simulon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

ProductionCrate

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time3
  • 1 Download$0.99
  • 10 Downloads$6.99
  • 50 Downloads$24.99
16 purchases

Simulon

Subscriptions8
  • Lite7 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • Plus7 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Core$29.001 Month
Show 5 more
  • Pro7 Days trial$55.001 Month
  • Lite7 Days trial$143.991 Year
  • Studio$200.001 Month
  • Plus7 Days trial$239.001 Year
  • Pro7 Days trial$529.001 Year
One-time8
  • 10,000 Credits$5.00
  • 20,000 Credits$10.00
  • 30,000 Credits$15.00
Show 5 more
  • 50,000 Credits$25.00
  • 80,000 Credits$40.00
  • 90,000 Credits$45.00
  • 180,000 Credits$90.00
  • 200,000 Credits$100.00

Questions

Is ProductionCrate free?
ProductionCrate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simulon free?
Simulon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ProductionCrate or Simulon?
Simulon is rated higher. ProductionCrate averages 4.0 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Simulon averages 4.4 from 29 ratings.
Do ProductionCrate or Simulon have ads?
Neither ProductionCrate nor Simulon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ProductionCrate or Simulon?
ProductionCrate ships an update monthly, and Simulon every 5 days. Most recently, ProductionCrate was updated on September 24, 2026 and Simulon on August 1, 2026.

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