Comparison

Real Halftone 2 vs Mono Lab

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

Head to head
About

Real Halftone 2

This app generates halftone dots for photomechanical printing. Users can select dot shapes and adjust CMYK color screen angles to create unique halftone photographs, faithfully reproducing moiré patterns.

Highlights
  • Generates halftone dots
  • Adjustable CMYK color screen angles
  • Faithful moiré pattern reproduction
  • Selectable dot shapes
  • Adjust CMY gray replacement with black
Features
Read full description

Real Halftone 2 is a full-fledged app that generates halftone dots for photomechanical printing. You can select a dot shape and adjust the screen angle of each CMYK color to create a wide variety of halftone photographs. Moiré patterns that appear depending on screen angle combinations are faithfully reproduced as well. [Features] - By adjusting the angle at which the halftone dot screens of each CMYK color are overlapped, the occurrence of moiré can be suppressed. - You can adjust the amount of CMY gray components replaced with black during color separation. - Detailed settings related to halftone dot printing are also available, such as dot shape and screen ruling.

About

Mono Lab

Explore unexpected visual transformations with a wide array of experimental filters for both black and white and color images. Manipulate images through touch and motion, mapping them across 3D surfaces for unique artistic results.

Highlights
  • 158 B&W distortion filters
  • 40 color experimentation filters
  • Touch and motion control transformations
  • 3D surface mapping
  • Raster and vector output
  • Save custom filters
Features
Read full description

Mono Lab is designed for exploring the unexpected. Experiment with images in black and white. (And now Color!) From subtle relief to structural collapse, topology drift, mesh warps, fracture effects, misregistration, and controlled instability, every tool is built for focused experimentation. Responsive. Direct. Tactile. // Interactive Filters (X) Distortion that responds to you. Shift the image through movement and contact. Tilt to bend structure. Rotate to redirect tension. Touch to anchor, drag to stretch, hold to resist. Each gesture leaves a trace. Each motion reshapes the result. // 3D Surface Mode A dimensional approach to distortion. Map images across 12 surfaces and interpret them through 13 lenses. Adjust depth. Refine spatial tension. Each surface behaves differently. Each lens reshapes the outcome. Monochromatic. Structure, tone, dimension, possibility. What You Can Do • 158 filters for black and white distortion • 40 filters for color experimentation (color also works with B&W filters as well) • Touch and motion control transformations • 12 surfaces. 13 lenses • Press, drag, and hold to reshape the image like a surface • Refine light, contrast, and structure • Warp topology and form • Collapse, fracture, and distort • Create raster and vector outputs • Build layered misregistrations • Adjust pressure, grain, and tone • Stack transformations • Save your favorite filters to the Index • Save directly to Files Mono Lab is for designers, artists, photographers, illustrators, and visual experimenters working in black and white.

Screenshots

Real Halftone 24 screens
Mono Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Real Halftone 2 at Free against Mono Lab's $4.99. Real Halftone 2 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). Mono Lab's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On rating, 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

Real Halftone 2 is free to download; Mono Lab costs $4.99 up front. Mono Lab sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Real Halftone 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Real Halftone 2 against 5.0 for Mono Lab. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 23 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Real Halftone 2 ships an update every 3 months, Mono Lab weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Real Halftone 2 versus Mono Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReal Halftone 2Mono Lab
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.9 (23 ratings)5.0 (23 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—94.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2323
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#5 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomoki KobayashiInner Circle

Customer experience

Real Halftone 2

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mono Lab

All ratings23 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%

In-app purchases

None

Real Halftone 2

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Mono Lab

One-time4
  • Pheno Set$1.99
  • Print Set$1.99
  • ASCII Set$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Dither Set$1.99

Questions

Is Real Halftone 2 free?
Real Halftone 2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mono Lab free?
Mono Lab costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Real Halftone 2 or Mono Lab?
Mono Lab is rated higher. Real Halftone 2 averages 4.9 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Mono Lab averages 5.0 from 23 ratings.
Do Real Halftone 2 or Mono Lab have ads?
Neither Real Halftone 2 nor Mono Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Real Halftone 2 or Mono Lab?
Real Halftone 2 ships an update every 3 months, and Mono Lab weekly. Most recently, Real Halftone 2 was updated on November 3, 2026 and Mono Lab on November 7, 2026.

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