# ThemeBox vs StandBy

The clearest difference is monetization model: StandBy at freemium against ThemeBox's subscription. StandBy also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 51%). ThemeBox's advantage is rating (3.6 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (513 vs 44). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ThemeBox sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and StandBy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ThemeBox holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ThemeBox has 513 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of ThemeBox's written reviews are positive against 60% of StandBy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ThemeBox ships an update every 5 days, StandBy every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ThemeBox | StandBy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (513 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/themebox-widgetsthemesicons/id1665600829/reviews)** | [3.3 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standby-widgets/id6468032432/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **513** | 44 |
| Positive reviews | 51.3% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 87 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SoCloud Technology Co., Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1517288550) | [Twinstar Creatives](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378171714) |

## What reviewers say

### ThemeBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/themebox-widgetsthemesicons/id1665600829)

Personalize your iPhone with a wide array of original themes, including custom widgets, icons, and wallpapers for both your home and lock screens. Transform your device into a unique work of art to match your style and mood.

**Highlights:** Custom iPhone themes, Home screen widgets, Custom icons, Lock screen styles, Exclusive wallpapers

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Great app
- 🎨 Lots of themes and wallpapers
- 👍 Free to use
- 🎉 Fantastic
- ✨ Beautiful wallpapers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Difficult to earn gems
- 🚫 Ads don't work
- 🔒 Can't apply themes/wallpapers without gems
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🤔 Unreasonable gem requirements

**Reported bugs**

- Ads fail to load
- Gems not awarded properly for sharing/referrals
- Inability to apply themes/wallpapers
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- More ways to earn gems
- Reduce gem requirements for themes/wallpapers
- Fix ad issues
- Add more theme/wallpaper options
- Improve overall stability and performance


### StandBy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standby-widgets/id6468032432)

Transform your iPhone into a smart bedside display while charging. View widgets like clocks, calendars, and photos in landscape mode. Customize themes for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Smart landscape display mode, Bedside clock functionality, Digital photo frame, Customizable widgets (clock, calendar, photo), Themed interfaces, Pro features with subscription

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StandBy+ | $19.99 | per 6 months |
| StandBy+ | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ThemeBox free?

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

### Is StandBy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ThemeBox or StandBy?

ThemeBox is rated higher. ThemeBox averages 3.6 out of 5 from 513 ratings, while StandBy averages 3.3 from 44 ratings.

### Do ThemeBox or StandBy have ads?

Neither ThemeBox nor StandBy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ThemeBox or StandBy?

ThemeBox ships an update every 5 days, and StandBy every 8 days. Most recently, ThemeBox was updated on September 22, 2026 and StandBy on September 22, 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.*