# Image Playground vs Microsoft Designer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Microsoft Designer at 76% against Image Playground's 0%. Microsoft Designer also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.6) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). Image Playground's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Designer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Image Playground asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft Designer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Designer has 556 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Image Playground's written reviews are positive against 76% of Microsoft Designer's.

Image Playground ships an update every 5 months, Microsoft Designer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Image Playground | Microsoft Designer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/image-playground/id1628240669/reviews) | **[4.5 (556 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-designer/id6448308247/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **556** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **76.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#151** |
| Size | 133 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Yudai Yamane](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607652920) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### Image Playground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/image-playground/id1628240669)

This app uses machine learning to predict and apply filters to your images. Future updates will include style transfer and super-resolution features.

**Highlights:** Machine learning image analysis, Apply various filters, Predictive image content, Future style transfer, Future super-resolution

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Microsoft Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-designer/id6448308247)

**Currently charting:** #151 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Visually create and edit anything imaginable with AI. Generate unique images from text, design personalized cards and wallpapers, and enhance photos by removing distractions or backgrounds.

**Highlights:** AI image generation, Custom sticker creation, Generative erase tool, Background removal, Custom wallpaper design, Greeting card creation, Photo restyling

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 Basic Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | $20.00 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family Yearly | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with Microsoft 365
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Powerful AI-powered design capabilities
- 💡 Versatile and creative features
- 🎉 Fun and enjoyable to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Strict content guidelines
- 💰 Subscription-based model with limited free usage
- 📱 Limited functionality on iPad devices

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent performance and loading issues
- Inability to view or manage past designs on mobile
- Unexpected content restrictions and rejections

**Requested features**

- AI-powered video editing capabilities
- More advanced image editing tools
- Improved handling of diverse character designs
- Better organization and navigation of past projects


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Image Playground free?

Image Playground is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Microsoft Designer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Image Playground or Microsoft Designer?

Microsoft Designer is rated higher. Image Playground averages 1.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Microsoft Designer averages 4.5 from 556 ratings.

### Do Image Playground or Microsoft Designer have ads?

Neither Image Playground nor Microsoft Designer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Image Playground or Microsoft Designer?

Image Playground ships an update every 5 months, and Microsoft Designer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Image Playground was updated on October 3, 2026 and Microsoft Designer on October 15, 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.*