# ElfYourself® vs Elf Studio

The clearest difference is ads: Elf Studio at none against ElfYourself®'s shown. Elf Studio also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). ElfYourself®'s advantage is review sentiment (66% vs 45%) and ratings volume (28K vs 3.7K). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ElfYourself® sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year and Elf Studio sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ElfYourself® against 4.7 for Elf Studio. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ElfYourself® has 28K ratings behind it against 3.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of ElfYourself®'s written reviews are positive against 45% of Elf Studio's.

ElfYourself® ships an update fortnightly, Elf Studio every 3 days. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ElfYourself® | Elf Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elfyourself/id582486077/reviews)** | [4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **28K** | 3.7K |
| Positive reviews | **65.7% of reviews** | 45.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Magic Mirror LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/582478497) | [North Pole Command Centre Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/976131058) |

## What reviewers say

### ElfYourself®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elfyourself/id582486077)

Personalize holiday videos by adding your face to dancing elves. Create custom videos with up to five faces and choose from various dances. Share your festive creations as greetings or on social media.

**Highlights:** Personalized elf dance videos, Add up to 5 faces, Dozens of dance options, Automatic video creation, Social media sharing, Send holiday greetings

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ElfYourself® Season Pass 2020 | $6.99 | per year |
| Disco Dance | $0.99 | one-time |
| 80s Dance | $0.99 | one-time |
| Classic Dance | $0.99 | one-time |
| HipHop Dance | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Dances | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Dances | $5.99 | one-time |
| All Dances | $6.99 | one-time |
| All Dances | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 So much fun!!!
- 😂 Funny and entertaining
- 👍 Great for family and friends
- 💖 Brings back good memories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid options are too expensive
- 🤖 AI filters make videos look abnormal
- 🤔 Confusing subscription model
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not saving properly
- Black screen issue on certain devices
- Purchased content disappearing

**Requested features**

- More free dances and songs
- Ability to change elf outfits
- Easier sharing options
- Improved video quality for paid version


### Elf Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616)

Create magical videos and photos of Santa and his elves visiting your home using augmented reality. Place characters in any environment, customize their appearance and animations, and record your own festive scenes.

**Highlights:** Add Santa Claus and elves, Unlimited elves and recording time, Create custom elves with Elf Workshop, Customize elf outfits and accessories, Elves with walking and dancing animations, Pre-plan or perform animations, Customize lighting, shadows, and camera filters

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Elf Studio | $1.99 | per month |
| Elf Studio™ - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlock Elf Studio | $3.99 | per year |
| Elf Studio™ - Annual | $6.99 | per year |
| 50+ Elf Dance Animations | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Credit - Pro Price | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Credits - Pro Price | $5.99 | one-time |
| 10 Credits - Pro Price | $9.99 | one-time |
| Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| 25 Credits - Pro Price | $22.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎅 Elf-themed game
- 👍 Fun for kids
- 💡 Ability to create elf scenes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🚫 Limited free functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to scan surfaces for elf placement
- Crashes and freezes when trying to use app

**Requested features**

- More free customization options
- Ability to save and share created scenes
- Improved surface detection for elf placement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ElfYourself® free?

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

### Is Elf Studio free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ElfYourself® or Elf Studio?

ElfYourself® is rated higher. ElfYourself® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 28K ratings, while Elf Studio averages 4.7 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do ElfYourself® or Elf Studio have ads?

ElfYourself® shows ads; Elf Studio does not.

### Which is updated more often, ElfYourself® or Elf Studio?

ElfYourself® ships an update fortnightly, and Elf Studio every 3 days. Most recently, ElfYourself® was updated on September 28, 2026 and Elf Studio on September 28, 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.*