Comparison

Stop Motion Studio vs Swirly

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

Swirly

Unleash your inner artist with a unique symmetrical drawing tool. Create vibrant artwork using a wide array of brushes, colors, and adjustable settings. Save, edit, and share your masterpieces with ease.

Highlights
  • Symmetrical drawing
  • Large color palette
  • Various brush types
  • Adjustable brush settings
  • Shape path brushes
  • Save, edit, and share creations
  • Adjustable grid divisions
Features
Read full description

Bring out the artist within with this unique symmetrical drawing App. Create colourful and beautiful drawings with an arsenal of different tools to suit a variety of artists! Features: • Symmetrical drawing • Large colour palette • Various brush types • Adjustable brush size • Adjustable brush softness • Adjustable brush opacity • Shape path brushes / continuous drawing • Save, edit and share your creations • Large selection background styles • Clean, beautiful UI • Adjustable grid divisions • Free-form drawing - asymmetrical • Hi-res output

Screenshots

Stop Motion Studio4 screens
Swirly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Stop Motion Studio at 4.6 against Swirly's 2.3. Stop Motion Studio also leads on ratings volume (82K vs 26) and review sentiment (78% vs 53%). Swirly's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Swirly sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stop Motion Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stop Motion Studio has 82K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Stop Motion Studio's written reviews are positive against 53% of Swirly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stop Motion Studio ships an update every 2 weeks, Swirly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Stop Motion Studio versus Swirly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStop Motion StudioSwirly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (82K ratings) — better2.3 (26 ratings)
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better53.2% of reviews
Number of ratings82K — better26
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#167 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.610.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB86 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCATEATER, LLCThrowr Pty Ltd

Customer experience

Stop Motion Studio

All ratings78,202 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews2,434 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral8.0%
Negative13.8%

Swirly

All ratings25 ratings
Positive24.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative64.0%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive53.2%
Neutral12.8%
Negative34.0%

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

Swirly

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Stop Motion Studio

One-time1
  • All Features Forever$5.99
10 purchases

Swirly

One-time10
  • Christmas 2015Free
  • 50 Shades Of$0.99
  • Pastel Perfect$0.99
Show 7 more
  • All The Lovers$0.99
  • Remove Ads$0.99
  • Nebula$0.99
  • Brightlight$0.99
  • Sweet Like...$0.99
  • Flat Flame$0.99
  • Super Swirly$3.99

Questions

Is Stop Motion Studio free?
Stop Motion Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swirly free?
Swirly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Stop Motion Studio or Swirly?
Stop Motion Studio is rated higher. Stop Motion Studio averages 4.6 out of 5 from 82K ratings, while Swirly averages 2.3 from 26 ratings.
Do Stop Motion Studio or Swirly have ads?
Neither Stop Motion Studio nor Swirly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stop Motion Studio or Swirly?
Stop Motion Studio ships an update every 2 weeks, and Swirly every 2 months. Most recently, Stop Motion Studio was updated on November 1, 2026 and Swirly on October 29, 2026.

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