# iCaughtSanta vs Elf Studio

The clearest difference is ads: Elf Studio at none against iCaughtSanta's shown. Elf Studio also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (45% vs 17%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iCaughtSanta sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Elf Studio sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for iCaughtSanta against 4.7 for Elf Studio. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 3.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 17% of iCaughtSanta's written reviews are positive against 45% of Elf Studio's.

iCaughtSanta ships an update every 9 months, Elf Studio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iCaughtSanta | Elf Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icaughtsanta/id341400468/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K | **3.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 17.1% of reviews | **45.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 85 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Catch A Character, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/341400471) | [North Pole Command Centre Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/976131058) |

## What reviewers say

### iCaughtSanta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icaughtsanta/id341400468)

Easily add realistic Santa Claus stickers to your photos to create magical holiday memories. Surprise children with images of Santa in their own homes or create personalized holiday cards. The app offers high-quality stickers for various occasions beyond Christmas.

**Highlights:** Realistic Santa photo stickers, High-quality sticker images, Create personalized holiday cards, Add Santa to any photo, Save and share unlimited pictures, Stickers for various occasions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Santa Sticker Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fairy Sticker Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bunny Sticker Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Sticker Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sticker Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps kids
- 🎅 Fun app to trick kids
- 🎨 Good quality photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 💰 Expensive for individual photos
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🖼️ Intrusive watermarks on free photos
- 🔍 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Camera not working properly
- Photos not saving correctly
- App not restoring purchased content

**Requested features**

- Ability to adjust brightness and hue of stickers
- Option to remove watermarks on purchased photos
- Support for multiple photo uploads at once


### Elf Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616)

Create magical videos and photos of Santa and his elves visiting your home using augmented reality. Place characters in any environment, customize their appearance and animations, and record your own festive scenes.

**Highlights:** Add Santa Claus and elves, Unlimited elves and recording time, Create custom elves with Elf Workshop, Customize elf outfits and accessories, Elves with walking and dancing animations, Pre-plan or perform animations, Customize lighting, shadows, and camera filters

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Elf Studio | $1.99 | per month |
| Elf Studio™ - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlock Elf Studio | $3.99 | per year |
| Elf Studio™ - Annual | $6.99 | per year |
| 50+ Elf Dance Animations | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Credit - Pro Price | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Credits - Pro Price | $5.99 | one-time |
| 10 Credits - Pro Price | $9.99 | one-time |
| Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| 25 Credits - Pro Price | $22.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎅 Elf-themed game
- 👍 Fun for kids
- 💡 Ability to create elf scenes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🚫 Limited free functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to scan surfaces for elf placement
- Crashes and freezes when trying to use app

**Requested features**

- More free customization options
- Ability to save and share created scenes
- Improved surface detection for elf placement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iCaughtSanta free?

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

### Is Elf Studio free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iCaughtSanta or Elf Studio?

Elf Studio is rated higher. iCaughtSanta averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Elf Studio averages 4.7 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do iCaughtSanta or Elf Studio have ads?

iCaughtSanta shows ads; Elf Studio does not.

### Which is updated more often, iCaughtSanta or Elf Studio?

iCaughtSanta ships an update every 9 months, and Elf Studio every 3 days. Most recently, iCaughtSanta was updated on September 13, 2026 and Elf Studio on September 25, 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.*