# Banner vs LaMetric Smile

The clearest difference is price: LaMetric Smile at Free against Banner's $0.99. LaMetric Smile also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 2). Banner's advantage is rating (3.0 vs 2.2) and review sentiment (69% vs 28%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

LaMetric Smile is free to download; Banner costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Banner holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Banner's written reviews are positive against 28% of LaMetric Smile's.

Banner ships an update every 3 months, LaMetric Smile every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Banner | LaMetric Smile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/banner/id289468215/reviews)** | [2.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lametric-smile/id1219337071/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | **68.9% of reviews** | 27.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#168** | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Smart Atoms Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1042231653) |

## What reviewers say

### Banner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/banner/id289468215)

**Currently charting:** #168 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

Create custom LED-matrix-style displays for messages, time, date, tweets, and music information. Personalize your display with adjustable speeds, orientations, and element styles. Ideal for unique visual notifications and information sharing.

**Highlights:** Customizable messages, Display time and date, Show tweet feeds, Display music info, Adjustable scroll/blink speed, Customizable LED appearance

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast scrolling
- 👍 Customizable colors and styles
- 💡 Multiple saved messages
- 👍 Fun and useful app
- 🚀 Improved over free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing or crashing
- 🐛 Text editing issues
- 🐛 Orientation issues
- 🐛 Missing features from free version

**Reported bugs**

- Text editing cursor issues
- Orientation-related bugs
- Freezing or crashing

**Requested features**

- More color and font options
- Ability to add symbols like heart
- Vertical scrolling or screen saver mode
- Random message playback
- Ability to manipulate individual pixels


### LaMetric Smile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lametric-smile/id1219337071)

Express yourself with a vast collection of pixel art stickers and animations. Create your own unique pixelated designs or share existing ones through messaging apps. Enhance your smart clock display with custom pixel art.

**Highlights:** Pixel art sticker collection, Animation sharing, Built-in creator tool, Customizable clock faces, Messaging app integration, DIY pixel art creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Banner free?

Banner costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LaMetric Smile free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Banner or LaMetric Smile?

Banner is rated higher. Banner averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while LaMetric Smile averages 2.2 from 6 ratings.

### Do Banner or LaMetric Smile have ads?

Neither Banner nor LaMetric Smile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Banner or LaMetric Smile?

Banner ships an update every 3 months, and LaMetric Smile every 27 months. Most recently, Banner was updated on November 6, 2026 and LaMetric Smile on November 2, 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.*