# PhotoLayers vs Leonardo

The clearest difference is price: PhotoLayers at Free against Leonardo's $4.99. PhotoLayers also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (20K vs 129). Leonardo's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

PhotoLayers is free to download; Leonardo costs $4.99 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 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PhotoLayers has 20K ratings behind it against 129, 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 77% of Leonardo's.

PhotoLayers ships an update every 3 months, Leonardo every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhotoLayers | Leonardo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photolayers/id501882698/reviews)** | [4.0 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leonardo-photo-layer-editor/id656090065/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 129 |
| Positive reviews | **80.6% of reviews** | 77.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Size | 9 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [handyCloset Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/434388697) | [Pankaj Goswami](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453844207) |

## 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


### Leonardo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leonardo-photo-layer-editor/id656090065)

This powerful photo editor offers desktop-level functionality with true layer support, advanced selection tools, and masking capabilities. Edit images with real-time adjustments, apply a wide range of filters and effects, and export your work in various formats, including PSD with layers. Save projects to continue editing later.

**Highlights:** True layer support, Advanced selection tools, Mask editing, Real-time adjustments, PSD export with layers, Preset photo effects, Project saving

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful photo editing capabilities
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Extensive set of tools and features
- 💡 Closest thing to Photoshop on mobile
- 🎨 Great for layering, masking, and advanced editing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty with precise selection and masking
- 🔍 Lack of zoom functionality for detailed editing
- 🔋 Quality degradation when exporting images
- 🕰 Steep learning curve for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Merge down function deletes bottom layer
- Photos import with low quality and blurriness
- Certain tools (e.g. gradient) not working as expected
- Crashes when trying to open old projects

**Requested features**

- Add eyedropper tool
- Improve layer merging functionality
- Implement batch processing and export options
- Provide higher resolution output
- Add more customization options (fonts, brushes, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhotoLayers free?

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

### Is Leonardo free?

Leonardo costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

PhotoLayers is rated higher. PhotoLayers averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Leonardo averages 4.0 from 129 ratings.

### Do PhotoLayers or Leonardo have ads?

PhotoLayers shows ads; Leonardo does not.

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

PhotoLayers ships an update every 3 months, and Leonardo every 6 weeks. Most recently, PhotoLayers was updated on November 12, 2026 and Leonardo on November 1, 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.*