# MonoVu vs Blackie

The clearest difference is price: MonoVu at Free against Blackie's $3.99. MonoVu also leads on rating (3.3 vs 3.1). Blackie's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (58% vs 43%). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

MonoVu is free to download; Blackie costs $3.99 up front. MonoVu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Blackie asks for nothing beyond the download.

MonoVu holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackie has 44 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of MonoVu's written reviews are positive against 58% of Blackie's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

MonoVu ships an update every 2 months, Blackie monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MonoVu | Blackie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[3.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monovu/id536470049/reviews)** | [3.1 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackie/id904557761/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **44** |
| Positive reviews | 43.1% of reviews | **58.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 71 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Broong, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/324853708) | [Brutality Arts](https://appshunter.io/developer/596941590) |

## What reviewers say

### MonoVu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monovu/id536470049)

Create stunning monochrome photographs with a variety of professional-grade black-and-white filters and textures. Capture moments in high-quality, black-and-white, and share them instantly. Offers continuous shooting and a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** 10 free professional filters, 25 in-app purchase filters, Wide spectrum of B&W effects, Variety of texture filters, Continuous shooting mode, Direct photo sharing, High-resolution support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mono11 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono12 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono13 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono15 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono18 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono23 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono26 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono28 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mono34 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all paid filters | $1.99 | one-time |


### Blackie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackie/id904557761)

This app is designed for black and white photography enthusiasts, offering a minimal interface and powerful tools for both beginners and professionals. It provides real-time effect previews, manual camera controls, and extensive editing options to achieve stunning monochrome images.

**Highlights:** Real-time effect previews, Manual camera controls, Extensive editing mods, Customizable presets, Minimalist design, Fast camera access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Excellent B&W quality
- 🎨 Great filters and effects
- ⚙️ Powerful controls
- 📸 Good for street photography
- 💡 Customizable options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🚫 App not usable (on some devices)
- 📉 Poor usability (for some)
- 🐞 Bugs and glitches
- 🫙 Difficult to save photos

**Reported bugs**

- Severe crashes
- Photos not saving
- Editing not saving
- Upper side of pictures cut off
- Double assignments in UI (e.g., histogram)

**Requested features**

- Customizable default comment in metadata
- Home screen shortcut icon
- Masking function
- Retouch/correction function
- Support for 48MP max grid


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MonoVu free?

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

### Is Blackie free?

Blackie costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MonoVu or Blackie?

MonoVu is rated higher. MonoVu averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Blackie averages 3.1 from 44 ratings.

### Do MonoVu or Blackie have ads?

Neither MonoVu nor Blackie shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MonoVu or Blackie?

MonoVu ships an update every 2 months, and Blackie monthly. Most recently, MonoVu was updated on October 23, 2026 and Blackie on October 24, 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.*