# PhotoLayers vs Exacto

The clearest difference is price: PhotoLayers at Free against Exacto's $2.99. PhotoLayers also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 55%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Exacto's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#121 vs unranked). On update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

PhotoLayers is free to download; Exacto costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PhotoLayers holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PhotoLayers has 20K ratings behind it against 615, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of PhotoLayers's written reviews are positive against 55% of Exacto's.

PhotoLayers ships an update every 3 months, Exacto every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhotoLayers | Exacto |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photolayers/id501882698/reviews)** | [4.5 (615 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exacto/id1137441273/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 615 |
| Positive reviews | **80.6% of reviews** | 55.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#121** |
| Size | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [handyCloset Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/434388697) | [Tinkerworks Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/503806808) |

## What reviewers say

### PhotoLayers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photolayers/id501882698)

Easily create stunning photo collages and composite images by layering up to 11 photos. Remove unwanted backgrounds to make subjects transparent and adjust color tones for more attractive visuals.

**Highlights:** Photo layering, Background eraser, Create collages, Composite photos, Color control

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful editing tools
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Versatile layering options
- 🎨 Excellent for photo manipulation
- 🆓 Fully functional free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Quality loss when saving images
- 📢 Intrusive ads
- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy
- 📐 Lack of zoom/pan for precise positioning

**Reported bugs**

- Eraser tool issues after recent update
- Crashes and freezes on some devices
- Inability to access photo library in certain cases

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Horizontal/landscape mode support
- Increased layer limit
- Ability to save edited images in higher quality


### Exacto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exacto/id1137441273)

**Currently charting:** #121 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Easily create precise photo cutouts and remove backgrounds with a powerful pen selection tool. This app brings advanced desktop editing capabilities to your mobile device, allowing for pixel-perfect selections and unlimited layers for complex edits.

**Highlights:** Pen Selection Tool for precise cutouts, Unlimited layers for multiple selections, Delete and insert points in selections, Reset control points, Unlimited undo/redo, Autosave projects, Instant preview

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent manual image cut-out app
- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 💡 Intuitive method for generating cut-outs
- 👍 Precise and detailed cut-outs
- 👍 Feathering feature for high-quality results

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when handling complicated motifs
- 🐛 Inability to save edited images
- 🐛 White background when saving cut-outs
- 👎 Lack of automation and inconvenient cut-out points
- 👎 Complicated and not user-friendly

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on newer iOS versions
- Saving issues, unable to save with transparent background

**Requested features**

- Add a refine selection brush
- Ability to add a background layer
- Magnetic lasso tool
- Change the color of the selection outline
- Combine with creative composition tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhotoLayers free?

PhotoLayers is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Exacto free?

Exacto costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PhotoLayers or Exacto?

PhotoLayers is rated higher. PhotoLayers averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Exacto averages 4.5 from 615 ratings.

### Do PhotoLayers or Exacto have ads?

PhotoLayers shows ads; Exacto does not.

### Which is updated more often, PhotoLayers or Exacto?

PhotoLayers ships an update every 3 months, and Exacto every 2 months. Most recently, PhotoLayers was updated on October 19, 2026 and Exacto on October 18, 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.*