# Snapchat vs Blur Background Photo Effect

Snapchat and Blur Background Photo Effect both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Blur Background Photo Effect's written reviews are positive against 30% of Snapchat's. Snapchat's advantage is ratings volume (6M vs 20K) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Snapchat sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Blur Background Photo Effect sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Snapchat against 4.5 for Blur Background Photo Effect. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Snapchat has 6M ratings behind it against 20K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 30% of Snapchat's written reviews are positive against 87% of Blur Background Photo Effect's.

Snapchat ships an update every 5 days, Blur Background Photo Effect every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Snapchat | Blur Background Photo Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapchat/id447188370/reviews)** | [4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blur-background-photo-effect/id1579215073/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6M** | 20K |
| Positive reviews | 30.4% of reviews | **87.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | #114 |
| Size | 405 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Snap, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/446889612) | [Shiho Sadamizu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1226977215) |

## What reviewers say

### Snapchat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapchat/id447188370)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #6 Top Free · Photo & Video, #6 Top Grossing, #74 Top Free (US App Store)

Instantly share photos and videos with friends and family. Express yourself with creative tools, connect through live messaging and video calls, and discover content from the community. Save your favorite moments and explore shared memories.

**Highlights:** Camera with Lenses and Filters, Live Messaging and Video Chat, Friend and Group Stories, Spotlight for user-created content, Location Sharing Map, Memories for saving photos/videos, Friendship Profiles

**Features:** Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Memories Storage | $1.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ Monthly Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ Monthly Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Monthly Plan) | $3.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Monthly Plan) | $4.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Monthly Plan) | $4.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Annual Plan) | $29.99 | per year |
| Snapchat+ (12-Month Plan) | $39.99 | per year |
| Snapstreak Restore | $0.49 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $1.49 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $2.99 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $3.99 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💬 Great way to communicate with friends
- 📷 Convenient for sharing photos and videos
- 🤳 Fun filters and customization options
- 🔒 Secure messaging with disappearing content
- 🗺️ Useful location-based features like Snap Map

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Forced AI assistant that can't be removed
- 🤢 Dislike for new 3D bitmoji design
- 🕰️ Frustration over Snapchat+ paywall for basic features
- 🔇 Inability to disable shutter sound
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Accounts being permanently locked for unclear reasons
- Inability to create new accounts on banned devices
- Disappearing Memories and lack of data retrieval
- Inconsistent video upload and playback issues
- Notifications and chat features not working properly

**Requested features**

- Allow permanent deletion of Memories
- Add multi-video upload to Stories
- Improve customer support and account recovery
- Provide option to disable AI assistant
- Bring back 2D bitmoji customization


### Blur Background Photo Effect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blur-background-photo-effect/id1579215073)

**Currently charting:** #114 Top Free · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Easily enhance your photos with a variety of blurring and mosaic effects. Simply trace over areas to apply artistic filters, protect privacy, or achieve a professional camera look. The app also offers convenient cropping tools for further customization.

**Highlights:** Finger tracing blur application, Variety of mosaic and blur styles, Layered mosaic effects, Photo cropping tool, Privacy protection blurring

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Mosaic+ Pro | $2.49 | per month |
| Yearly Mosaic+ Pro | $22.49 | per year |
| Premium plan | $3.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Edition Mosaic+ Pro | $30.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward app
- 💡 Helpful blur feature
- 🎨 Good customization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 🔋 Some issues with saving photos

**Reported bugs**

- Photos stretching and turning horizontal
- App kicking users out

**Requested features**

- Ability to batch process multiple photos
- More blur style options
- Improved stability and performance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Snapchat free?

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

### Is Blur Background Photo Effect free?

Blur Background Photo Effect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Snapchat or Blur Background Photo Effect?

Snapchat is rated higher. Snapchat averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6M ratings, while Blur Background Photo Effect averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.

### Do Snapchat or Blur Background Photo Effect have ads?

Both Snapchat and Blur Background Photo Effect show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Snapchat or Blur Background Photo Effect?

Snapchat ships an update every 5 days, and Blur Background Photo Effect every 3 weeks. Most recently, Snapchat was updated on October 28, 2026 and Blur Background Photo Effect on October 28, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Snapchat or Blur Background Photo Effect?

Snapchat currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and Blur Background Photo Effect at #114. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*