Comparison

ISO vs NameForge

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

Head to head
About

ISO

Perform astonishing magic tricks using a spectator's phone. This app enables various illusions, from vanishing bills to book tests, all without revealing your own device. It's designed for easy performance in any language.

Highlights
  • Bill to impossible location
  • Book test with any printed text
  • Playing card forces
  • Uses spectator's phone
  • Works in any language
  • Optional Serial AR purchase
  • Multiple pairing methods
Read full description

“Marc's apps are unbelievable.” —David Blaine ISO is a digital solution which enables many analogue effects. ISO lets you perform miracles using a borrowed phone. *** You can use ISO for: - Bill to impossible location - A book test with ANY printed text (a restaurant menu, a borrowed book, a magazine, etc) - Pegasus page - Playing card forces - Stacked deck effects ...and so much more! For example... imagine: - You ask your spectator to borrow a bill, which they place on the table in front of them. - Using THEIR phone, you openly take a photo of the bill to verify later. - You crumple the bill into a ball in your hand, and have your spectator hold your wrist. - You slowly open your hand to show that the bill has now VANISHED! - The spectator then checks under their bag to find the bill! - They check the serial number… it MATCHES the photo! It’s the SAME bill! * Your phone is NEVER in play! ISO only uses the spectator’s phone during the effect, meaning your phone is never seen. * Carefully justified in every way All stages of ISO’s possible effects and routines have been carefully thought through and are justified at each step. * Works in ANY language ISO is performable in any language. No text is visible during the effect, and so ISO can be used in any country or region. * Introducing Serial AR A new way to use ISO in collaboration with William O'Connell. ISO is now even easier to perform, removing the need to take a photo in advance! (Serial AR requires a one-off, optional in-app purchase. It currently works with GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, HKD, CHF, KRW, BRL, RUP, INR bills, with more being added over time.) * Multiple pairing methods Includes an adaptive peek screen, plus optional printable pairing stickers and NFC tag support. * Fully customisable The many included settings, features and modes available let you use ISO for many different effects. * WikiTest pairing integration Performing ISO can leave your spectator paired and ready to perform WikiTest at the conclusion of ISO’s effect. * VERY easy to perform * NO accomplice used * NO memory work needed ISO is for entertainment purposes only. Please get in touch to discuss video/audio/TV/internet broadcasting of any description of this effect.

About

NameForge

This tool transforms any word into a personalized acrostic for mentalism performances. It offers seamless input and output options, with optional pro features for enhanced routines and community sharing.

Highlights
  • Word to acrostic generation
  • Customizable input and output
  • Pro features via in-app purchases
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Voice and camera input
  • Community sharing of routines
Features
Read full description

NAMEFORGE - MODERN MENTALISM, FORGED TO PERFECTION Created by professional mentalist Paul Brook, NameForge is a cutting-edge mentalism tool that transforms a simple word into a powerful, personalised moment of mentalism. Take a name - typed, spoken*, or selected - and instantly generate a compelling acrostic, where the first letter of each line spells out the original word. It feels deeply personal to your participant, yet the method remains entirely invisible. Whether you’re performing on stage, close-up, or over video, NameForge delivers genuine impact - without giving away your secrets. CUSTOMISED INPUT AND OUTPUT, SEAMLESS DELIVERY Any word can be inputted into NameForge, which will then be turned into an acrostic - where the first letter of each word creates another word. After the acrostic is made, it can then be sent virtually anywhere you want, via the predefined outputs, or use the customisable outputs to send to somewhere specific. PRO FEATURES FOR WORKING PERFORMERS Enhance your routines with optional Pro features (In-App Purchases): • Apple Watch Peek – discreet reveals on your wrist • Voice Input – speak the word aloud to create the acrostic • Camera Input – show a written word to any of your phone's cameras to input it • Unforged Sending – send unformatted words to any integration • Search Result Output – make their phone show your prediction • Add More API Outputs – connect to more integrations COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SHARING Profiles and word lists can be shared between performers with ease, letting you explore and perform community-favourite routines in seconds. CONSTANTLY EVOLVING NameForge is packed with tools and always evolving - ready to help you create miracles, anywhere, anytime. *Voice Input requires the ‘Voice Input’ In-App purchase.

Screenshots

ISO3 screens
NameForge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ISO at $59.99 against NameForge's $69.99. ISO also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (28 vs 4). NameForge's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

ISO costs $59.99 and NameForge $69.99 up front. ISO sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NameForge sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ISO holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ISO has 28 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ISO's written reviews are positive against 90% of NameForge's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ISO ships an update weekly, NameForge every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ISO versus NameForge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterISONameForge
Price$59.99 — better$69.99
Rating5.0 (28 ratings) — better4.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better90.0% of reviews
Number of ratings28 — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarc KersteinPaul Michael Brook

Customer experience

ISO

All ratings28 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NameForge

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ISO

One-time1
  • Serial AR$19.99
6 purchases

NameForge

One-time6
  • Unforged Output$29.99
  • API Inputs$29.99
  • Watch Peek$49.99
Show 3 more
  • Voice Input$49.99
  • Camera Input$49.99
  • Search Result Output$49.99

Questions

Is ISO free?
ISO costs $59.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is NameForge free?
NameForge costs $69.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ISO or NameForge?
ISO is rated higher. ISO averages 5.0 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while NameForge averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.
Do ISO or NameForge have ads?
Neither ISO nor NameForge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ISO or NameForge?
ISO ships an update weekly, and NameForge every 8 days. Most recently, ISO was updated on November 7, 2026 and NameForge on November 4, 2026.

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