Comparison

Stop Motion Studio vs Circa 1948

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

Head to head
About

Stop Motion Studio

Easily create stop motion animations and films with powerful editing tools. Capture every frame with manual camera controls, add sound and effects, and share your creations in high definition. Suitable for beginners and experienced animators alike.

Highlights
  • Onion skinning and animation guides
  • Frame-by-frame editing
  • Manual camera controls
  • Voiceover and sound effects
  • Green screen effects
  • 4K export
  • Remote camera control
Features
Read full description

Join 25 million creators making stop motion animation with ease. Stop Motion Studio is the Apple-featured app for creating stunning stop motion films. Enjoy powerful creative tools with no ads, no tracking, and no subscriptions. Stop Motion Studio is the easiest and most powerful stop motion animation maker for iPhone and iPad. Create beautiful animated films with LEGO, clay, drawings, or everyday objects — no experience required. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned animator, Stop Motion Studio gives you everything you need to turn your ideas into motion. Loved by Millions Worldwide * Over 25 million creators and counting * Rated 4.7 stars with more than 65,000 reviews * Featured in Apple’s “Life on iPad” TV commercial “Stop Motion Studio makes it easy to create your own stop-motion movies.” – The Washington Post “Brings out the LEGO moviemaking geek in all of us.” – TechNewsWorld Create and Edit with Precision * Onion skinning and animation guides for perfect alignment * Interactive timeline and frame-by-frame editing * Copy, paste, cut, and insert frames with ease * Rotoscoping: draw over videos for unique effects * Built-in drawing tools, text cards, and speech bubbles * Erase unwanted objects and add facial expressions or layers * Merge frames to simulate motion blur or speed effects Capture Every Frame * Full manual camera controls: focus, exposure, ISO, and white balance * Timelapse capture mode for automatic shooting * Use your Apple Watch or another device as a remote camera Add Sound and Style * Record voiceovers and narration directly in the app * Add sound effects, background music, or import from your library * Use filters, fades, and transitions for cinematic results * Green screen effects let you place characters anywhere Share Your Masterpiece * Export your films in 4K or 1080p HD * Share directly to YouTube, TikTok, or save as a GIF or iMessage sticker * Transfer projects via AirDrop, iCloud, or Dropbox * Start on iPhone and finish on Mac — your work stays in sync Learn and Improve * Step-by-step tutorials and creative tips included * Built-in manual for quick guidance and inspiration Yours to Create No ads. No tracking. No subscriptions. Your data stays private and your creativity stays yours. Download Stop Motion Studio today. Join millions of creators and bring your imagination to life — one frame at a time. * Some features require in-app purchases. All features are already included in the Pro version.

About

Circa 1948

Explore a historically inspired, film noir-style city from the late 1940s. This immersive art app uses photorealistic 3D illustrations and audio to recreate two distinct Vancouver neighborhoods, offering a glimpse into urban planning and social divisions of the era.

Highlights
  • Extensive historical detail
  • Period music and audio
  • Film noir influenced conversations
  • Historically accurate environments
  • Real-time 3D engine
  • Touch and gyroscope navigation
Read full description

“This trip to the past is a glimpse at the future” - TIME. Enter the shadows of a post-war North American city through this film noir inspired, historically based immersive art app. Requires iPhone 4S/iPad 2 and above. The first Real-time 3D art app to tell a story inspired by real events. An immersive experience created by internationally renowned artist Stan Douglas and the award-winning NFB Digital Studio. Through photorealistic 3D illustrations rendered from Douglas’ extensive historical research, Circa 1948 takes users to the late 1940s, Vancouver, BC, a young city in the midst of urban planning, but divided along lines of race and income. Eavesdrop on long lost conversations in two carefully recreated locations: an Old Hotel in Vancouver’s affluent west side, then squatted by homeless war veterans, or the muddy streets of ethnically diverse Hogan’s Alley in the working class east side, populated by racial minorities, gamblers, prostitutes and corrupt police officers. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada. Features - Extensive historical detail - Period music and audio - 44 film noir influenced conversations - Historically accurate props, architecture and landscapes - Open-source real-time 3D engine - Touch and gyroscope-driven navigation modes Supported Devices - iPhone 4S, 5, 5C and 5S - iPad 2, 3rd and 4th generation iPad, iPad Air, iPad Mini and 2nd generation iPad Mini.

Screenshots

Stop Motion Studio4 screens
Circa 19484 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Stop Motion Studio at 4.6 against Circa 1948's 3.4. Stop Motion Studio also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 42%) and ratings volume (78K vs 22). Circa 1948's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Stop Motion Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Circa 1948 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stop Motion Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stop Motion Studio has 78K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Stop Motion Studio's written reviews are positive against 42% of Circa 1948's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stop Motion Studio ships an update every 2 weeks, Circa 1948 fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Stop Motion Studio versus Circa 1948: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStop Motion StudioCirca 1948
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (78K ratings) — better3.4 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews79.0% of reviews — better42.3% of reviews
Number of ratings78K — better22
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#203 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB1.9 GB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperCATEATER, LLCNational Film Board / Office national du film

Customer experience

Stop Motion Studio

All ratings78,202 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews2,026 reviews
Positive79.0%
Neutral8.2%
Negative12.7%

Circa 1948

All ratings22 ratings
Positive59.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews71 reviews
Positive42.3%
Neutral18.3%
Negative39.4%

Bugs and requests

Stop Motion Studio

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Camera shaking/blurry issues
  • Sound not working properly
  • Frames skipping or lagging
  • Inability to restore deleted projects
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • More free features and effects
  • Improved erasing and editing tools
  • Ability to import photos and videos
  • More sound effects and audio options
  • Easier way to add text and titles

Circa 1948

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Stop Motion Studio

One-time1
  • All Features Forever$5.99
None

Circa 1948

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stop Motion Studio free?
Stop Motion Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Circa 1948 free?
Circa 1948 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stop Motion Studio or Circa 1948?
Stop Motion Studio is rated higher. Stop Motion Studio averages 4.6 out of 5 from 78K ratings, while Circa 1948 averages 3.4 from 22 ratings.
Do Stop Motion Studio or Circa 1948 have ads?
Neither Stop Motion Studio nor Circa 1948 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stop Motion Studio or Circa 1948?
Stop Motion Studio ships an update every 2 weeks, and Circa 1948 fortnightly. Most recently, Stop Motion Studio was updated on September 30, 2026 and Circa 1948 on June 10, 2026.

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