Comparison

video maker vs RefCanvas

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

Head to head
About

video maker

Easily create captivating video slideshows from your photos. Select images, arrange them, and add transitions and music to craft personalized stories. Export your creations in various formats for sharing.

Highlights
  • Create video slideshows from photos
  • Add transitions and music
  • Arrange photos in desired order
  • Customize transitions
  • Export in various formats and resolutions
  • Share with friends and family
Features
Read full description

Transform your cherished moments into captivating stories with Photo to Video Maker, the ultimate app for creating stunning video slideshows. Seamlessly blend your favorite photos into a seamless narrative, complete with transitions, music, and personalized touches. Crafting your masterpiece is a breeze: simply select the images that hold special meaning to you, arrange them in the desired order, and watch as the app weaves them together with graceful transitions. Customize each transition to your liking, from subtle fades to dynamic effects that add flair and excitement. Elevate your creation by adding a soundtrack that resonates with the mood of your slideshow. Share your masterpiece effortlessly with friends and family. Export your slideshow in various formats and resolutions, optimizing it for different platforms and devices. Whether you're celebrating a milestone, reliving a journey, or expressing your creativity, Photo to Video Maker is your artistic companion, empowering you to transform static images into dynamic, unforgettable stories.

About

RefCanvas

This app helps artists and designers organize visual references for their projects. Import images and GIFs, arrange them on a canvas, add notes, and export your creations.

Highlights
  • Import images and GIFs
  • Add text notes
  • Move, scale, and rotate references
  • Group references with nodes
  • Supports split screen and pop-up view
  • Export boards as SVG or images
Features
Read full description

RefCanvas is an intuitive tool for artists and designers who need a comprehensive reference app to bring their creative vision to life. Key Features: - Import images and gifs. - Notes - Add text notes. - Move, scale and rotate references to create the perfect layout. - Multi selection - edit multiple references at one. - Nodes - Useful for grouping references. - Drag and drop - Drag and drop files from others apps like the gallery. - Paste files from the clipboard. - Supports split screen and pop-up view: Use it as a companion app with your favorite drawing app like Ibis Paint or Infinite Painter. - Save your progress as boards for future use. - Auto set thumbnails for boards after saving. - Eye dropper - Tap and hold to pick a color from your references as a hex code. - Drawing. Animated GIF support: - Reference your favorite animated gifs. - Pause animation and play frame by frame to better understand referenced animations. - Animation timeline gives you an interactive visual breakdown of all the frames. Easy to use reference tools: - Grayscale toggle. - Flip horizontally and vertically. - Add link - allows you to visit the source of your reference. Export: Export boards to share. Export board as SVG. Export Images/Gifs as files. Using RefCanvas to make reference boards & mood boards is easy, simply import your images or gifs, and move them around the canvas to arrange them in the layout that works best for your project. You can adjust their size, rotation and position to your liking, giving you maximum control over your creative process.

Screenshots

video maker3 screens
RefCanvas4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: video maker at 4.0 against RefCanvas's 2.3. RefCanvas's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. video maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and RefCanvas sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

video maker holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 7 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

video maker ships an update every 10 months, RefCanvas every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
video maker versus RefCanvas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametervideo makerRefCanvas
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings) — better2.3 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings57 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSounak Sarkaryoucef boukit

Customer experience

video maker

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

RefCanvas

All ratings7 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

video maker

One-time1
  • Remove all advertisements$0.99
2 purchases

RefCanvas

One-time2
  • Pro version$2.99
  • Pro version2 variants$3.99

Questions

Is video maker free?
video maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RefCanvas free?
RefCanvas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, video maker or RefCanvas?
video maker is rated higher. video maker averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while RefCanvas averages 2.3 from 7 ratings.
Do video maker or RefCanvas have ads?
video maker shows ads; RefCanvas does not.
Which is updated more often, video maker or RefCanvas?
video maker ships an update every 10 months, and RefCanvas every 17 months. Most recently, video maker was updated on September 26, 2026 and RefCanvas on October 2, 2026.

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