XScreenSaver vs Plasma!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
XScreenSaver
Explore a vast collection of historic and educational graphics demos originally designed for Linux and Unix systems. This application allows you to interact with hundreds of these visual demonstrations, ported from the classic screen saver collection.
- Historic graphics demos
- Educational visual content
- Interactive demo playback
- Large collection of visuals
- Cross-platform heritage
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The XScreenSaver application is a large collection of historic and educational graphics demos. XScreenSaver is the standard screen saver collection shipped on most Linux and Unix systems. I released the first version in 1992. In 2006, I ported it to MacOS, and in 2012 I ported it to iOS. This application is not a screen saver, of course, since iOS doesn't have those. But it does let you play with the hundreds of graphics demos that are a part of the XScreenSaver collection.
Plasma!
Experience a mesmerizing visual display resembling a lava lamp on your mobile device. Enjoy a free color palette or unlock additional options with a one-time purchase. The app runs continuously, making it a dynamic background for your device.
- Lava lamp simulation
- Smoothly morphing colorful blobs
- Free blue-green color palette
- Unlockable color palettes
- Continuous background operation
- Apple Watch compatibility
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Plasma! is like a Lava Lamp in your pocket! Run the app, then place your iPhone or iPad upright on the table. Or just hold it in your hand. Watch as the colorful blobs smoothly morph around the screen. Enjoy the blue-green color palette for free. Then after a one-time purchase, you may choose from 5 different color palettes, or "Cycle All" to rotate amongst them all. If running on an Apple Watch, simply tap on the screen until you find your favorite color. Plasma! will keep going when you're away, so remember to plug in your device to avoid draining the battery. Hope you enjoy it!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: XScreenSaver at 4.8 against Plasma!'s 3.8. XScreenSaver also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 54%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Plasma!'s advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads 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
Both are free to download. Plasma! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. XScreenSaver asks for nothing beyond the download.
XScreenSaver holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of XScreenSaver's written reviews are positive against 54% of Plasma!'s.
XScreenSaver ships an update every 6 months, Plasma! fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | XScreenSaver | Plasma! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (109 ratings) — better | 3.8 (30 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews — better | 53.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 109 — better | 30 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 9.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jamie Zawinski | Carl Gorringe |
Customer experience
XScreenSaver
Plasma!
Bugs and requests
XScreenSaver
Reported bugs
5 issues- Photo library screensaver crashes on iOS 13
- GLText reveals password when system info is selected
- Framebuffer loading failures requiring app restart
- Crashes on certain devices or configurations
- Difficult UI for exiting screensavers on larger phones
Requested features
11 requests- Favorites or bookmarking system to save preferred screensavers
- Hide or exclude unwanted screensavers from rotation
- Ability to select specific channels in XAnalogTV screensaver
- Widget support for iOS standby mode
- Prevent auto-lock feature to keep screen on
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- Apple TV version
- Windows port of the application
- Larger hit areas for corner icons
- Faster scrubbing through screensavers
- Donate button for supporting development
- Screensavers featuring pentagons
Plasma!
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
XScreenSaver
No in-app purchases
Plasma!
- More Colors!$0.99
