Comparison

Poetics vs Bitrot

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Poetics

Create and explore unique visual poetry with mutable text, chance operations, and gestural controls. This app allows for nonlinear compositions, custom filters, and physics-based interactions, supporting multiple languages and voice input.

Highlights
  • Mutable text
  • Chance operations
  • Gestural semiotics
  • Physics-based interactions
  • Custom photo filters
  • Voice input
  • Multiple languages
Features
Read full description

Poetics is a visual poetry app focused on developing concepts of semiotic poetry and decentralized art. The app is an ongoing project by Seth Indigo Carnes, an artist based in New York City. Poetics is used in over 150 countries, across languages and cultures. Art features: • mutable text • chance operations • ephemeral missives • gestural semiotics • nonlinear flux • meta tangents • intermedia cutups • multimodal love App features: • works on all iOS devices • portrait and landscape compositions • curated set of font choices • always editable, saved work • custom photo filters • minimal text styling and color • physics-based interactions • nuanced gestural control • zoom in and out for detailed work • edit mode for advanced work • write in multiple languages • speak your words into app Music in App Store preview courtesy of Patrick Golden and Jim Clouse of Parkwest Records. Feedback or thoughts? hello@poetics.app Metta

About

Bitrot

Create unique, textured images with a variety of destructive and retro effects. This app offers layered editing, masking, and precise control over pixel manipulation, all processed locally on your device. Enhance your photos with film-style presets, custom text, and collage tools.

Highlights
  • Layered effect stacking
  • Masking to subject/background
  • Dither, glitch, and pixelate effects
  • VHS and CRT style looks
  • Hand-drawn warp and liquify
  • Film-style color grading
  • Collage and text tools
Features
Read full description

Bitrot turns your photos into beautiful decay. Dither, glitch, halftone, pixelate, warp, and grade your images with a stack of layered effects — all processed on your device, at full resolution. Bitrot is a hands-on editor built for texture and character, not one-tap filters. Stack effects like layers, blend them, mask them to the subject or background, and dial in exactly the look you want. NO AI. ON YOUR DEVICE. Every effect is real image processing, computed on your iPhone or iPad. No cloud, no accounts, no uploads — your photos never leave your device. EFFECTS • Destruct — Floyd–Steinberg dither, halftone, pixelate, threshold • Signature looks — CRT, VHS, glitch, datamosh, Game Boy, scanlines, halation • Warp & Liquify — bend, push, and smear pixels by hand • Adjust & Filter — levels, curves, sharpen, blur, posterize, duotone, vignette COLOR GRADE • Film-style presets with live thumbnail previews • Fine-tune intensity and add grain TEXT & COLLAGE • Dozens of fonts with weights — pixel, serif, mono, script and more • Build collages on a blank canvas or over your photo • Move, rotate, scale, and blend every layer BUILT FOR CONTROL • Layer-based editing with blend modes and opacity • Mask any effect to the subject or the background • Unlimited undo / redo • Save projects and pick them back up later • Export full-resolution images to Photos FREE FOREVER The complete editor is yours for the life of the app — no watermark, unlimited exports, local project storage. BECOME A SUPPORTER (optional) Support development and unlock: • iCloud sync across your devices • The Experimental "Lab" of new effects • The ability to request and vote on future tools PRIVACY FIRST Everything is processed privately on your device. Your photos are never uploaded. — Made by Aux Ltd. Questions or ideas? info@aux.ltd Supporter is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period; manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://aux.ltd/bitrot/privacy-policy Terms: https://aux.ltd/bitrot/terms-and-conditions Eula: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Poetics4 screens
Bitrot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bitrot at Free against Poetics's $2.99. Bitrot also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Poetics's advantage is ratings volume (69 vs 5) and chart position (#88 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Bitrot is free to download; Poetics costs $2.99 up front. Poetics sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Bitrot sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bitrot holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Poetics has 69 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Poetics ships an update every 10 months, Bitrot weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Poetics versus Bitrot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPoeticsBitrot
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (69 ratings)4.6 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings69 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#88 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSoulincode Inc.William Shouldis

Customer experience

Poetics

All ratings68 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral2.9%
Negative14.7%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative20.7%

Bitrot

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Poetics

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes constantly
  • Freezes up with replace option
  • Saving in messenger is broken
  • Crashes when tapping text button
  • Crashes before sending postcard
Show 6 more
  • Crashes on specific photos
  • App doesn't open
  • Crashes losing all edits
  • Only crashes when sending postcard
  • Reduces photo resolution
  • Text blurry when using software background images

Requested features

23 requests
  • More fonts
  • Ability to type longer phrases
  • Add return key
  • Broader selection of type faces
  • Automatic text wrapping
Show 18 more
  • Resizing text to fit window
  • More features
  • Different font or text styles
  • Control aspect ratio
  • Control image size
  • iPad version
  • Square image support
  • More text box length and size options
  • Tint white backgrounds behind words
  • More fonts or layouts
  • Suggested text for when word-poor
  • Ability to string poems together in stanzas for email
  • Change font types
  • Use text without the 'label'
  • Rotate picture ability
  • Text takes on filter appearance
  • Make app compatible with iPads
  • Add more editing features

Bitrot

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Poetics

One-time12
  • Whitman$0.99
  • Cage$0.99
  • Mallarmé$0.99
Show 9 more
  • Basquiat$0.99
  • Duchamp$0.99
  • Baskerville$0.99
  • Didot$0.99
  • Gill Sans$0.99
  • Avenir$0.99
  • Cochin$0.99
  • Filter Pack$5.99
  • Font Pack$5.99
3 purchases

Bitrot

Subscriptions2
  • Supporter Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Supporter Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$59.99

Questions

Is Poetics free?
Poetics costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Bitrot free?
Bitrot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Poetics or Bitrot?
Bitrot is rated higher. Poetics averages 4.2 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Bitrot averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Poetics or Bitrot have ads?
Neither Poetics nor Bitrot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Poetics or Bitrot?
Poetics ships an update every 10 months, and Bitrot weekly. Most recently, Poetics was updated on October 26, 2026 and Bitrot on October 24, 2026.

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