Comparison

iFontMaker vs POLYCAM

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

Head to head
About

iFontMaker

Easily create your own unique fonts for Mac, iOS, PC, and the web in minutes. This app offers a fun and accessible way to design custom typefaces, suitable for both beginners and experienced designers working with advanced features.

Highlights
  • Create handmade fonts
  • Design for Mac, iOS, PC, and web
  • Intuitive font creation process
  • Supports Bézier curves, SVGs, kerning, and ligatures
  • Install fonts directly on iOS devices
Features
Read full description

iFontMaker 3 for iPad Create Your Own Handmade Fonts Stop choosing fonts and start making your own today — font creation has never been easier or more fun. With iFontMaker, you can create original fonts for Mac, iOS, PC, and the web in just 4 minutes. From beginners to experts working with Bézier curves, SVGs, kerning, and custom ligatures*, everyone can enjoy iFontMaker. Create unique, one-of-a-kind fonts on your iPad! *Offered as a free update since version 3.0. ■ “iFontMaker is a whole world of font designing fun” — Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2010/oct/11/ipad-ifontmaker-design-app ■ “iFontMaker: Make Your Own Font When Nothing Else Will Do” — Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/ifontmaker-make-your-own-font-when-nothing-else-will-d-494294426 ■ “FONT-TASTIC!” — 148apps.com https://www.148apps.com/reviews/ifontmaker-review/ ## Now you can install your own font on iOS devices!! ## https://2ttf.tumblr.com/post/86875545787/install-fonts-from-2ttf-on-ios-devices

About

POLYCAM

Create unique visual effects by combining over 150 built-in filters. This app allows for real-time camera input manipulation, loading existing media, and exporting high-quality videos. Customize parameters with sliders, LFOs, or sensor data for interactive visualizers.

Highlights
  • Combine over 150 built-in filters
  • Create and save custom filter chains
  • Real-time camera input processing
  • Load and export existing images/videos
  • Adjustable filter parameters
  • Interactive audio visualizers
  • Full-screen output with smooth transitions
Features
Read full description

To create a custom filter, use the built-in basic image filters and combine them. You can also load previously recorded images/videos and record/export. Filter Custom filters are created by connecting filters selected from over 150 collections in series. For instance, you can do the following: Camera input-> [Mirror effect-> Monochrome effect-> Glitch effect]-> Display / Recorder The items inside [] are called chains and can be selected and rearranged as you please. This chain can be saved, and once created and saved, it can be loaded with one tap. There are so many filters that it is hard to find immediately, but you can find them by searching or categorizing. The filters include a built-in iOS filter called Core Image Filter (* 1) and a POLYCAM original filter created with Metal (* 2) shader. The Loop filter has a built-in feedback circuit that allows you to re-read the output of the previous frame, making it ideal for more experimental video generation and circuit bending. Generic filters such as StarShine, SunBeam, Lenticular Halo, and Gradient are also included, so you can create generated images. Output Full screen output without indicators of 4 outputs. HDMI, AirPlay, NDI®, Aether, are possible. Using smooth alpha transitions for almost all transitions, you can create a smooth production when projecting full-screen images using Outputs. Export If the source input is selected from photos or videos in the photo album, it can be asynchronously exported to the photo album. This is different from real-time recording at the time of shooting, and is written in non-real time for each frame. Smooth videos can be saved even at resolutions and settings that lack the power of the CPU or GPU. Parametrics Each filter has several parameters that you can adjust with the sliders to adjust the filter's balance and effect. Parameters can be automated with the LFO oscillator or random generator. You can also assign audio input peaks from microphones, accelerometers, gyro sensors, MIDI inputs, etc. for interactive control and create audio visualizers. Settings Camera select (internal / external, double, triple also available) Aspect ratio (Original, 1: 1, 3: 4, 9:16, 4: 3, 16: 9) Resolution (Original, QD, HD, FHD) Microphone gain NDI® on / off (*3) Aether wireless sender bit rate (*4) Tint color change Rotation lock Saving, sharing, and exporting Chains The created chain can be saved with the save button at the lower right of the chain table view. The saved chains are arranged in the collection view, and the chains can be loaded by tapping or dragging and dropping. You can share the chain by dragging and dropping it on the share mark. You can send it to macOS or save it to the File app. Exporting the settings will share the entire collection in the current chain. You can save all the filters you have created or share them with someone. (*5) Notes: *1 Core Image Filter Reference - Apple Developer https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/GraphicsImaging/Reference/CoreImageFilterReference/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/filter/ci/CIDiscBlur *2 Metal - Apple Developer https://developer.apple.com/jp/metal/ * 3 NDI® is a low-latency NewTek IP video library. It is built into various devices and applications such as macOS and Windows, and enables high-quality video communication by wireless or wired connection. https://www.ndi.tv/ (Currently, POLYCAM's vertical 9:16 transmission has a bug, but it works normally with other aspect ratios.) * 4 Aether is a low-latency, lightweight original IP video communication framework. It can be sent to Mac via wireless or wired connection and connected to Siphon for use in various applications. https://sites.google.com/view/aetherframework * 5 Chains and chain collections saved in the File app can be opened and read from POLYCAM when selected from the File app. Please send by AirDrop when sharing to other devices.

Screenshots

POLYCAM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: POLYCAM at $4.99 against iFontMaker's $7.99. POLYCAM also leads on chart position (#155 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

iFontMaker costs $7.99 and POLYCAM $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iFontMaker ships an update every 2 months, POLYCAM every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
iFontMaker versus POLYCAM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriFontMakerPOLYCAM
Price$7.99$4.99 — better
Rating—4.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#155 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEiji NishidaiNarumi Inada

Customer experience

iFontMaker

Written reviews369 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral20.1%
Negative24.4%

POLYCAM

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

iFontMaker

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when trying to load previous projects
  • Issues with importing/exporting fonts
  • Glitches when drawing certain characters
  • Incompatibility with Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add eraser tool
  • Improve brush/pen customization options
  • Implement better vector editing tools
  • Add support for more languages/scripts
  • Improve font installation and usage process
Show 1 more
  • Provide better documentation and tutorials

POLYCAM

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iFontMaker

No in-app purchases

None

POLYCAM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iFontMaker free?
iFontMaker costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is POLYCAM free?
POLYCAM costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do iFontMaker or POLYCAM have ads?
Neither iFontMaker nor POLYCAM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iFontMaker or POLYCAM?
iFontMaker ships an update every 2 months, and POLYCAM every 6 weeks. Most recently, iFontMaker was updated on October 12, 2026 and POLYCAM on September 30, 2026.

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