# Magic Hour vs Akool

The clearest difference is rating: Magic Hour at 4.8 against Akool's 3.9. Magic Hour also leads on ratings volume (5.2K vs 166). Akool's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic Hour sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Akool sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Magic Hour holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Hour has 5.2K ratings behind it against 166, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Magic Hour's written reviews are positive against 81% of Akool's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, Akool every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Hour | Akool |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-hour/id482426006/reviews)** | [3.9 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/akool-ai-video-generator/id6744886059/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | 166 |
| Positive reviews | 77.0% of reviews | **81.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [elfinda apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/482426309) | [Akool](https://appshunter.io/developer/1809746274) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Hour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-hour/id482426006)

This app helps photographers and cinematographers find the optimal times for shooting around sunrise and sunset. It provides precise calculations for 'magic hour' based on your location and offers moon phase information. Optional in-app purchases unlock advanced features like location selection and calendar integration.

**Highlights:** Magic hour time calculation, Sunrise and sunset times, Moonrise and full moon alerts, Weather forecast integration, Customizable notifications, Location-based planning

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Add Locations Ability | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great overview of the entire Magic Hour
- 👍 Fantastic in every way
- 👍 All the info you need to plan, especially for photographers
- 👍 Sleek and easy to use
- 👍 Perfect for photographers and cinematographers

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏰ Time way off
- 🔍 Can't change location
- 🐛 Crashes all the time
- 💰 Forced in-app purchase
- 🔍 Can't see future dates anymore

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Time way off
- 🐛 Can't change location
- 🐛 Crashes all the time
- 🐛 Can't see future dates anymore
- 🐛 Widget doesn't update

**Requested features**

- 💡 Moonrise notification
- 💡 Notification when magic hour ends
- 💡 Blue hour option
- 💡 Allow users to set their own background photo
- 💡 Ability to plan shoots in different locations


### Akool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/akool-ai-video-generator/id6744886059)

Create professional videos with AI. Turn photos into animated videos, swap faces with realistic results, translate videos into multiple languages, and generate lifelike talking avatars. Ideal for content creators and businesses looking to enhance their video production.

**Highlights:** Image to Video Animation, AI Face Swap, Real-time Video Translation, Talking Avatar Generation, HD/4K Video Export, Multilingual Dubbing

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Akool Starter - monthly | $12.00 | per month |
| Akool Pro - monthly | $30.00 | per month |
| Akool Max - monthly | $59.00 | per month |
| Akool Starter - yearly | $143.99 | per year |
| Akool Pro - yearly | $249.99 | per year |
| Credit Pack - 400 Credits | $24.00 | one-time |
| Credits Pack - 600 Credits | $36.00 | one-time |
| Credit Pack - 800 Credits | $48.00 | one-time |
| Credit Pack - 1000 Credits | $57.00 | one-time |
| Credit Pack - 2000 Credits | $101.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effortless video creation
- 🎨 Impressive AI capabilities
- 👍 Intuitive user interface
- 🎨 Seamless video generation
- 🎨 Excellent customization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🐛 Generation failures in some cases

**Reported bugs**

- Generation failures
- Inconsistent performance

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Hour free?

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

### Is Akool free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic Hour or Akool?

Magic Hour is rated higher. Magic Hour averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Akool averages 3.9 from 166 ratings.

### Do Magic Hour or Akool have ads?

Neither Magic Hour nor Akool shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Hour or Akool?

Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, and Akool every 2 weeks. Most recently, Magic Hour was updated on November 6, 2026 and Akool on November 8, 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.*