# VMS vs HEIC Direct

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VMS at none against HEIC Direct's 3. VMS also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). HEIC Direct's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HEIC Direct sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 6 months. VMS asks for nothing beyond the download.

VMS ships an update every 3 months, HEIC Direct every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VMS | HEIC Direct |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Size | 86 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FRS GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/899617834) | [Biswajit Nayak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880998028) |

## What reviewers say

### VMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vms-mobile/id1639028043)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HEIC Direct

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heic-direct-image-and-pdf-tools/id6782546201)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Access (6 Months) | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Pro Access (Yearly) | $5.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro Access | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VMS free?

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

### Is HEIC Direct free?

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

### Do VMS or HEIC Direct have ads?

Neither VMS nor HEIC Direct shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VMS or HEIC Direct?

VMS ships an update every 3 months, and HEIC Direct every 2 weeks. Most recently, VMS was updated on November 3, 2026 and HEIC Direct on November 5, 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.*