Panoply vs Distressed FX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Panoply
Create multimedia projects like business cards, presentations, and music videos with interactive elements. This app allows you to combine text, images, audio, and video, and share your creations in various formats. It also offers tools for capturing panoramic views and managing media resources efficiently.
- Create multimedia projects (cards, presentations, videos)
- Composite text, images, audio, and video
- Interactive 'On Touch Do' directives
- Searchable composite library
- Share creations via email or Bluetooth
- Panoramic photo capture assistance
- Portfolio creation and management
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Panoply is an E-Multimedia Composer and an interactive Player. Panoply is the iPhone version of Panoploid for the iPad. Create your business card, greeting card, next panoramic photo, ipod playlist, party invitation with directions, travel book with audio/video, executive multimedia presentation, art sketches, music video album with cover art: all on the iPhone. Device Requirements: This application runs only on iPhone 5 or higher. Similar to E-book, in addition to text and image, you can composite maps and graphics and add 'On Touch Do'(OnDo) directives on composites to play audio, video, show another image or display a web page. Such composites are collectively, in general, referred to as 'Composite(s)' below. Composite library can be searched on: location by address, latitude/longitude, or a caption. Share the composite image via e-mail or Bluetooth in multimedia rich proprietary format, or as a PDF, or image. Panoply also helps you capture panoramic views by automatically positioning, sizing and orienting individual photos(max 5) approximately. Composites can be edited on the spot while capturing or any other time later. A set of composites s can be collected in a 'Portfolio' and saved. Panoply manages all of your media resources optimally without duplicating them if possible. Panoply does not force a workflow or a method. Any moment during capture or creation or modification is the same as any other and all operations are available all the time. Panoply stores content in a device independent format. This currently means that whenever a composite is edited, modified, and stored back, the changes are applied on the original to maximize the resolution of the result. Looking ahead, it means that should we release Panoply on devices with higher resolution, your current content can be presented on the device with the device native resolution. Panoply uses database technology to store the contents. Therefore it is fast, responsive and, searchable. Panoply is built 100% on native iPhone technologies: there are no other third party software or software ported over from other platforms. In Panoply, what a gesture means is determined by context(graphics, maps, etc.,)as well as settings. This prevents us from having to invent arbitrary distinct gesture for each operation. But it also means that one needs to be aware of the context and settings that might affect a gesture. For example, in graphics workspace, you can create a rectangle, an ellipse, a filled rectangle or, a filled ellipse all with two touches. What gets created depends on the settings. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you at least cursorily go through the 4 pages of info before starting in order to be more productive as well as for a better experience at: http://www.ipanoramii.com For questions/comments e-mail: info.protolys@gmail.com. Quick Reference: Deletion: In Composite workspace, pressing trash button lets you either delete an individual item or all of them depending on mode. Gestures Zoom is available in all tabs when appropriate. Rotate: Keep one touch fixed and move the second touch around. Frame: Move two touches a distance apart horizontally or vertically on the composite in edit mode in the Composite tab. Drag with single touch Graphical gestures Line: Two simultaneous touches for the two end points of the line, in open, non-smooth mode. Rectangle: Same as for a line in closed mode. Circle and ellipses: the touches for the rectangle which will inscribe it in closed mode. Filled figures: Same as for closed figure with 'Filled' setting ON. Track mode: Tracks the touches and create a series of geometries. On a Composite in the Library: Right swipe: Sends(via e-mail or bluetooth). Left swipe : Moves it to the Composite tab. Single touch on an item in Library will toggle between the composite and its image super imposed on the world map.. Pressing the target corner again displays an 'X' pressing X, deletes it.
Distressed FX
Transform ordinary photos into unique works of art with a vast collection of textures and overlays. This app offers exclusive access to all current and future filters and effects for a single payment, making photo editing accessible and creative.
- Access to all current and future filters
- Exclusive new effects and features
- Wide range of textured images and overlays
- Transform mundane photos into art
- Ideal for still life and landscape photography
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Distressed FX Plus is a special edition of the highly acclaimed original. For a small single payment, you will get access to all current and future filters, as well as exclusive access to all new effects and features ahead of release on the original app. This is an extraordinary opportunity to harness all the amazing effects from Distressed FX. If you are ready to take your photos to the next level, this is the ideal investment at a bargain price. Creating gorgeous artwork from your photos has never been easier. With Distressed FX, simply take a photo and choose from a wide range of textured images and overlays. Transform even the most mundane photo into a work of art. See our hashtag #distressedFX on Instagram to see 100k+ examples! ** Featured by Mac Format and Black + White Photography Magazine Join us at: www.facebook.com/DistressedFX www.instagram.com/distressedfxapp/ • Particularly suited to still life and landscape photography - this app will perfectly compliment your existing collection of photo apps. Distressed FX is powered by the textures of Cheryl Tarrant, a texture artist from Tennessee. Her popular and unique style is now available in your pocket, wherever you go. • Follow Cheryl on Instagram http://instagram.com/distressedfxapp • Be our friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/DistressedFX • Follow us on Twitter : @distressedfx See examples of the Cheryl's distinctive work here: www.flickr.com/photos/jewellofdistressed/ ** Find out more about Distressed Textures at www.distressedfx.com & www.distressedtextures.com Distressed FX (tm) is a trademark of Cheryl Tarrant in the United States of America.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Panoply at Free against Distressed FX's $19.99. Panoply also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 72%). Distressed FX's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Panoply is free to download; Distressed FX costs $19.99 up front. Panoply sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Distressed FX sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Distressed FX holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distressed FX has 1.2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Panoply's written reviews are positive against 72% of Distressed FX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Panoply ships an update every 2 weeks, Distressed FX every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Panoply | Distressed FX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 72.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 1.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #192 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Protolys Inc. | We Are Here |
Customer experience
Panoply
Distressed FX
Bugs and requests
Panoply
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Distressed FX
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to download or load certain textures/overlays
- App crashing when opening photos
- Saving edited photos at lower resolutions
Requested features
4 requests- Masking and selective editing tools
- Zoom and precise control for editing
- Ability to use app on Mac devices
- Improved customer support and communication
In-app purchases
Panoply
- Audio Recording$0.99
- Graphics Bundle$0.99
- Add iTunes Music to Play on Touch$0.99
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- Maps in composite$0.99
- Complete bundle.$3.99
- Complete bundle with automatic future new in-app purchases for free$3.99
Distressed FX
- Beyond SkiesFree
- The HeavensFree
- Bokeh IllusionsFree
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- The LightsFree
- Box of colorsFree
- Old World GalleryFree
- Painterly GrungeFree
- The NeutralsFree
- Vintage CollectionFree
- Atmospheric LightFree
Questions
Is Panoply free?
Is Distressed FX free?
Which has better reviews, Panoply or Distressed FX?
Do Panoply or Distressed FX have ads?
Which is updated more often, Panoply or Distressed FX?
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