# picTrove vs Flow

The clearest difference is ads: Flow at none against picTrove's shown. Flow also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.2) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). picTrove's advantage is ratings volume (76 vs 3) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. picTrove sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Flow sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Flow holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: picTrove has 76 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of picTrove's written reviews are positive against 100% of Flow's.

picTrove ships an update every 3 months, Flow every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | picTrove | Flow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictrove/id433016309/reviews) | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flow-media-browser/id1548245678/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **76** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 67.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 212 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Traversient Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478485461) | [健 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1287914885) |

## What reviewers say

### picTrove

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictrove/id433016309)

Easily find and save images and animated GIFs from across the web. Search multiple online sources simultaneously and organize your discoveries. Enjoy a slideshow of your saved content.

**Highlights:** Search internet photos, Animated GIF support, Saved Searches, Save photos with one tap, Image Slideshow

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| No Ads Yearly | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent image search app
- 🚀 Comprehensive search across multiple sources
- 💡 Useful editing and sharing features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High memory usage leading to performance problems
- 💰 Paid version still shows ads

**Reported bugs**

- Search results not loading properly
- Inability to access certain search engines
- Saved searches and history not persisting

**Requested features**

- Add option to filter out inappropriate content
- Improve search result quality and relevance
- Restore ability to save images directly to device


### Flow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flow-media-browser/id1548245678)

Consolidate your photos and videos from various social media platforms into a single, convenient browser. Access content from Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Mastodon timelines, user pages, and search results.

**Highlights:** Browse photos and videos from multiple social media, Supports Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Mastodon, Access timelines, user pages, and search results, Consolidated media browsing experience, Future support for more media sources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock full version | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is picTrove free?

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

### Is Flow free?

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

### Which has better reviews, picTrove or Flow?

Flow is rated higher. picTrove averages 3.2 out of 5 from 76 ratings, while Flow averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do picTrove or Flow have ads?

picTrove shows ads; Flow does not.

### Which is updated more often, picTrove or Flow?

picTrove ships an update every 3 months, and Flow every 3 weeks. Most recently, picTrove was updated on October 29, 2026 and Flow on October 2, 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.*