# Percolator vs Value Study

The clearest difference is price: Value Study at Free against Percolator's $3.99. Value Study also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). Percolator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and chart position (#81 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Value Study is free to download; Percolator costs $3.99 up front. Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Percolator asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Percolator against 4.8 for Value Study. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 3.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Percolator's written reviews are positive against 92% of Value Study's.

Percolator ships an update every 4 months, Value Study fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Percolator | Value Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/percolator-drippy-mosaics/id385454903/reviews) | [4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **3.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 86.4% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#81** | — |
| Size | 37 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tinrocket, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/327054542) | [Diem Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439019995) |

## What reviewers say

### Percolator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/percolator-drippy-mosaics/id385454903)

**Currently charting:** #81 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Easily turn your photos into vibrant, multicolor mosaics with unique artistic styles. Intuitive controls allow for creative editing, and you can save or share your creations across various social platforms and messaging apps.

**Highlights:** Create multicolor photo mosaics, Unique artistic 'Brews', Intuitive dial-based controls, Save and share to social media, Integrates with other photo apps

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fantastic app, never disappoints
- 👍 Lush, beautiful mosaics
- 👍 Credible app with years of history
- 👍 Endlessly entertaining
- 👍 Helps create unique art

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Needs to remember export settings
- 🐛 Image quality not good enough for printing
- 🐛 Crashes on launch for some users
- 🔍 Interface too small, needs more screen space
- 🔍 Lacks a 'regrind' button

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to save and name custom settings
- Show which iteration of settings was used
- Load last used settings
- Add more example art
- Ability to select areas to exclude from effects


### Value Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127)

This app helps artists improve their skills by analyzing light and shadow in reference images. It allows users to break down tones step-by-step, from simple black and white to more complex value ranges, aiding in the understanding of depth and form. It's a tool to enhance traditional art studies.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step tone breakdown, Highlighting areas of same value, Focus on light, shadow, and form, Greyscale value studies, Works with reference images

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Value Study Pro | $3.99 | per year |
| Value Study Pro (yearly) | $6.99 | per year |
| Appreciation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Value Study Pro (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| Value Study | $17.99 | one-time |
| Amazing supporter | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for value studies
- 💡 Allows adjusting number of values
- 🎨 Useful for artists and painters
- ⭐ Great tool for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with accurately representing blue hues
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/importing photos
- 🤔 Unclear instructions/lack of tutorial

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or fails to launch on some devices
- Occasional issues with image processing

**Requested features**

- Add ability to adjust value midpoint
- Include color study/color adjustment options
- Provide side-by-side comparison of original and simplified images
- Add customizable grid overlay


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Percolator free?

Percolator costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Value Study free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Percolator or Value Study?

Percolator and Value Study are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.1K and 3.3K ratings respectively.

### Do Percolator or Value Study have ads?

Neither Percolator nor Value Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Percolator or Value Study?

Percolator ships an update every 4 months, and Value Study fortnightly. Most recently, Percolator was updated on October 15, 2026 and Value Study on October 15, 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.*