iColorama vs Distressed FX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iColorama
Enhance photos and digital art with over 1000 effects, from simple adjustments to complex transforms. Repaint images with various brushes, and import custom Photoshop brushes, curves, and fonts to create unique artistic pieces.
- Over 1000 image effects
- Image adjustments
- Math transforms
- Repainting with brushes
- Import custom brushes
- Import custom fonts
- Import custom curves
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iColorama is an imaging app for creators interested in enhancing their photos/paintings/drawings and converting them into amazing pieces of art. There are too many effects to be listed, more than 1000 !! The effects go from simple image adjustments to complicated math transforms. Images can also be repainted with different brushes. You can also import your own Photoshop brushes and curves and fonts. Follow Instagram:@icolorama for news and best-featured works!! Jerry Jobe's Tutorials: http://enthusiasmnoted.wordpress.com/?s=icolorama Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Distressed FX
Transform ordinary photos into unique works of art with a vast collection of textures and overlays. This app offers exclusive access to all current and future filters and effects for a single payment, making photo editing accessible and creative.
- Access to all current and future filters
- Exclusive new effects and features
- Wide range of textured images and overlays
- Transform mundane photos into art
- Ideal for still life and landscape photography
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Distressed FX Plus is a special edition of the highly acclaimed original. For a small single payment, you will get access to all current and future filters, as well as exclusive access to all new effects and features ahead of release on the original app. This is an extraordinary opportunity to harness all the amazing effects from Distressed FX. If you are ready to take your photos to the next level, this is the ideal investment at a bargain price. Creating gorgeous artwork from your photos has never been easier. With Distressed FX, simply take a photo and choose from a wide range of textured images and overlays. Transform even the most mundane photo into a work of art. See our hashtag #distressedFX on Instagram to see 100k+ examples! ** Featured by Mac Format and Black + White Photography Magazine Join us at: www.facebook.com/DistressedFX www.instagram.com/distressedfxapp/ • Particularly suited to still life and landscape photography - this app will perfectly compliment your existing collection of photo apps. Distressed FX is powered by the textures of Cheryl Tarrant, a texture artist from Tennessee. Her popular and unique style is now available in your pocket, wherever you go. • Follow Cheryl on Instagram http://instagram.com/distressedfxapp • Be our friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/DistressedFX • Follow us on Twitter : @distressedfx See examples of the Cheryl's distinctive work here: www.flickr.com/photos/jewellofdistressed/ ** Find out more about Distressed Textures at www.distressedfx.com & www.distressedtextures.com Distressed FX (tm) is a trademark of Cheryl Tarrant in the United States of America.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: iColorama at Free against Distressed FX's $19.99. iColorama also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). Distressed FX's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and chart position (#121 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
iColorama is free to download; Distressed FX costs $19.99 up front. iColorama sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Distressed FX sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Distressed FX holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 256 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of iColorama's written reviews are positive against 72% of Distressed FX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iColorama ships an update every 4 days, Distressed FX every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iColorama | Distressed FX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (256 ratings) | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 79.6% of reviews — better | 72.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 256 | 1.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #121 — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.1 GB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | talonsodev | We Are Here |
Customer experience
iColorama
Distressed FX
User reviews
iColorama
From 256 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Incredibly deep app
- 👍 Fantastic app
- 👍 Best app ever
- 👍 Brilliant app
- 👍 Superb app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Freezes constantly
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Quality reduced when uploading photos
- 🐛 Doesn't work with newer iOS versions
- 💰 Moved to subscription model
Distressed FX
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Creative and artistic photo editing
- 🎨 Excellent texture and overlay options
- 💡 Customizable layers and blending modes
- 🎨 Ability to create unique digital art
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with new iOS versions
- 🐛 Crashing and download errors
- 🐛 Inability to restore previous purchases
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions and tutorials
Bugs and requests
iColorama
Reported bugs
4 issues- Freezing issues
- Unable to load photos
- Watermark overlay issues
- Incompatibility with newer devices
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to save in full quality
- Improved stability and performance
- Support for latest iOS versions
- Restore previous free version
Distressed FX
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to download or load certain textures/overlays
- App crashing when opening photos
- Saving edited photos at lower resolutions
Requested features
4 requests- Masking and selective editing tools
- Zoom and precise control for editing
- Ability to use app on Mac devices
- Improved customer support and communication
In-app purchases
iColorama
- iColorama PRO3 Days trial$0.997 Days
- iColorama PRO3 Days trial$9.991 Year
- iColorama PRO$14.99
Distressed FX
- Beyond SkiesFree
- The HeavensFree
- Bokeh IllusionsFree
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- The LightsFree
- Box of colorsFree
- Old World GalleryFree
- Painterly GrungeFree
- The NeutralsFree
- Vintage CollectionFree
- Atmospheric LightFree
Questions
Is iColorama free?
Is Distressed FX free?
Which has better reviews, iColorama or Distressed FX?
Do iColorama or Distressed FX have ads?
Which is updated more often, iColorama or Distressed FX?
Other comparisons
