Comparison

LensFlare Optical Effects vs Superimpose X

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

Head to head
About

LensFlare Optical Effects

Enhance your photos with a wide array of realistic optical effects. Add professional touches like anamorphic flares, sun rays, and sci-fi light effects with just a few taps. Transform your images into stunning works of art.

Highlights
  • Over 70 optical effects
  • Anamorphic flares
  • Natural sunlight effects
  • Sci-fi flares
  • Moveable and interactive flares
  • Fully controllable light effects
Features
Read full description

Featured in Wired Magazine “...you don't know what you're missing until you try this app.” - Wired Magazine “...best iPhone app for adding realistic looking flares and optical effects.” - LifeInLofi.com User Reviews: "Incredibly powerful app. Very easy to use. Just a few taps and tweaks and your photos will pop with professional touches. Buy it." "Absolutely stunning. Thanks devs for sharing this with the community. Get it ASAP!!!" -------------------------------- Bring your photos to life with LensFlare. LensFlare is a must have app for any photographer or designer looking for the best in optical effects. With over 70 effects, you can choose from Holywood style anamorphic flares, sci-fi effects, sun rays, and more. Each flare has unique properties and is moveable and interactive. These aren't overlays but fully controllable light effects. Lens Types: - Anamorphic Flares - Natural Sunlight - Sci-fi Flares LensFlare will bring your photos to life turning them into works of art to share with friends and family. Tag your photos with #LensFlareApp for a chance to be featured!

About

Superimpose X

This powerful photo and video editor offers advanced tools like layers, masks, and blend modes for complex edits. It also includes AI-powered image generation and a multi-track video editor, all within a single project environment.

Highlights
  • Layer-based photo editing
  • AI image generation
  • Multi-track video editor
  • Masking and blend modes
  • Precision editing tools
  • PSD export with layers
  • Royalty-free stock assets
Features
Read full description

Superimpose X is a serious photo editor, and the editor is yours with the app — layers, masks, blend modes, brushes, effects, shadows, text and precision tools, with no subscription to use any of it. When you want more, two studios are built right in and unlock with a subscription: an AI Editor that generates and transforms images, and a true multi-track Video Editor. THE PHOTO EDITOR Build complex edits by hand with the control of a desktop app and none of the complexity. Cut out people and objects, combine images, paint masks, adjust colour, add depth and shadow, then refine every detail. • Layer-based editing with up to 24 layers • Magic Wand, Magic Lasso, brush and shape masks • 18 blend modes and 16 adjustment layers • Non-destructive layer blur and adjustments • 63 photo effects, plus clarity, colour, tone and detail controls • Text and curved text • Motion, Zoom, Spin, Lens and Selective Blur, and gradients • Warp, perspective transform and distortion • Paint, smudge, clone stamp and effect brushes • Shadow and Light Wrap tools • Camera fill with real-time masks and blend modes • Masking Library for reusable cutouts and stickers • Session Library that saves your projects automatically • PSD export with layers • Over a million royalty-free stock photos AI EDITOR Start from a photo, a sketch or a sentence and let AI do the heavy lifting, then take the result back into the layer editor to finish it properly. • Image generation from text • AI editing and inpainting • Background creation and replacement • Outpainting and image expansion • Enhance, relight and repair • Sketch to image • Headshot generation • Face swap • Image to image transformation • Image to video • AI people masking VIDEO EDITOR A real multi-track editor, not a template filler. • Edit video, images, audio and text on multiple tracks • Stack effects and animations for results that are yours • Masks for precise work, including green screen • Track objects through a shot and ramp clip speed • Animate text with elegant presets • Split, trim, rotate and freeze clips • Colour effects, blurs and distortions • Audio EQ, filters and transitions • Royalty-free photos, videos, music and GIFs • Export in a range of formats, including GIF ONE APP, ONE PROJECT The three studios share the same project. Composite a frame in the photo editor and drop it on the timeline. Generate a background with AI and mask it by hand. Pull a still out of a video and edit it as layers. Nothing is exported and re-imported just to move between them. Terms of use: https://www.superimposeapp.com/superimposex_terms_of_use.html Privacy Policy: https://www.superimposeapp.com/privacy2.html

Screenshots

LensFlare Optical Effects4 screens
Superimpose X4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LensFlare Optical Effects at none against Superimpose X's 8. Superimpose X's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#30 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

LensFlare Optical Effects costs $4.99 and Superimpose X $4.99 up front. Superimpose X sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. LensFlare Optical Effects asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for LensFlare Optical Effects against 4.7 for Superimpose X. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 670 and 3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of LensFlare Optical Effects's written reviews are positive against 86% of Superimpose X's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LensFlare Optical Effects ships an update every 2 months, Superimpose X every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
LensFlare Optical Effects versus Superimpose X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLensFlare Optical EffectsSuperimpose X
Price$4.99$4.99
Rating4.8 (670 ratings) — better4.7 (3K ratings)
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6703K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank—#30 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB380 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames GrotePankaj Goswami

Customer experience

LensFlare Optical Effects

All ratings663 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews348 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral6.6%
Negative13.2%

Superimpose X

All ratings3,028 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews898 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral4.6%
Negative9.7%

User reviews

LensFlare Optical Effects

From 670 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Awesome effects
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Realistic lens flares
  • 👍 Intuitive and powerful
  • 👍 Great for photography

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🔍 Subpar UI/UX

Superimpose X

From 3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing editing capabilities
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
  • 💡 Powerful layering and masking tools
  • 🚀 Efficient and fast performance
  • 👍 Excellent value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🐛 Bugs with certain tools (brush, text, etc.)
  • 🔒 Concerns over recent subscription model changes
  • 🔒 Frustration over loss of legacy features

Bugs and requests

LensFlare Optical Effects

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Unable to load or edit photos
  • Flares not positioning correctly
  • Incompatible with newer iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more lens flare options
  • Improve layer and masking capabilities
  • Enable rotation and resizing of effects
  • Optimize for larger image sizes
  • Integrate with video editing
Show 1 more
  • Provide AR functionality

Superimpose X

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Masking tool issues causing halos
  • Text layer bugs causing loss of text
  • Inconsistent behavior when merging layers
  • Crashes when using certain effects

Requested features

6 requests
  • More layer support
  • Additional font and text options
  • Improved color adjustment tools
  • Custom brush settings
  • Ability to rearrange layer order
Show 1 more
  • Expanded stock image library

In-app purchases

None

LensFlare Optical Effects

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Superimpose X

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Membership (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Superimpose X (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • AI Membership (Yearly)7 Days trial$17.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Pro Membership (Yearly)$17.991 Year
  • Superimpose X Pro (Yearly)3 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Superimpose X Pro (Yearly)$34.991 Year
One-time2
  • 500 Pro AI Coins$3.99
  • 1000 Pro AI Coins$6.99

Questions

Is LensFlare Optical Effects free?
LensFlare Optical Effects costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Superimpose X free?
Superimpose X costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LensFlare Optical Effects or Superimpose X?
LensFlare Optical Effects is rated higher. LensFlare Optical Effects averages 4.8 out of 5 from 670 ratings, while Superimpose X averages 4.7 from 3K ratings.
Do LensFlare Optical Effects or Superimpose X have ads?
Neither LensFlare Optical Effects nor Superimpose X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LensFlare Optical Effects or Superimpose X?
LensFlare Optical Effects ships an update every 2 months, and Superimpose X every 10 days. Most recently, LensFlare Optical Effects was updated on November 10, 2026 and Superimpose X on November 12, 2026.

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