Comparison

Aquarella vs Distressed FX

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

Head to head
About

Aquarella

Transform your photos into luminous watercolor paintings with realistic "blooms" and "wet edges." Offers professional-quality artistic styles, customizable presets, and easy-to-use controls for detailed adjustments. Share your creations directly to social media.

Highlights
  • Professional aquamedia styles
  • Randomize Color button
  • Customizable presets
  • Adjustable color details
  • Hi-res image support
  • Direct social media posting
Features
Read full description

Watercolor, or Aquarella is a wonderful transparent and luminous artistic media. Watch as Aquarella transforms your image into one with liquid pools of color blended fluidly on paper to create a watercolor with all the delicate details found in a traditional watercolor media. Look closely as you render your aquamedia to discover light delicate “blooms” of wet color running throughout your creation and brush strokes of overlapping pigment dried dark along the edges. You will be thrilled when you see your newly rendered watercolor - Auquarella is a professional artistic app and will deliver a high-end watercolor result true to the original media. HIGHLIGHTS •Two professional-quality aquamedia styles: A traditional one applies fluid brush strokes and colorful washes; and a two toned one washes your image with soft color combinations •One-of-a-kind "Randomize Color" button •Loads of ‘Styles’ to get you started fast •The ability to create and save custom presets styles •Thousands of watercolor styles by simply adjusting the settings and combining color, washes and blooms. •Easy-to-use slider controls to adjust color details, wet edges, paper styles, and water colors. •The ability to use hi-res images for top-quality results •Undo •Direct posting to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Tumbrl from mobile devices •Superior customer support and updates – we're committed to your long-term satisfaction UNIVERSAL FEATURES All JixiPix Apps come with: Superior Customer Service, Support for High-Resolution Images & Output, Undo/Redo, Randomize Button, Quick Presets and the ability to create Custom Presets, Cropping with the ability to specify aspect ratio, Quick Preview, Email, Print, and the ability to post directly to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. We also have an online art gallery and invite our user’s to display their artistic creations on it: http://www.flickr.com/groups/jixipixcreations/ *************** “JixiPix turns any photo into a masterpiece. The only requirement is art appreciation — we’ll take care of the rest!” JixiPix.com “Creative Tools for Creative People” Photography | Artistic | Graphic Apps MAC • iPad • iPhone

About

Distressed FX

Transform ordinary photos into unique works of art with a vast collection of textures and overlays. This app offers exclusive access to all current and future filters and effects for a single payment, making photo editing accessible and creative.

Highlights
  • Access to all current and future filters
  • Exclusive new effects and features
  • Wide range of textured images and overlays
  • Transform mundane photos into art
  • Ideal for still life and landscape photography
Features
Read full description

Distressed FX Plus is a special edition of the highly acclaimed original. For a small single payment, you will get access to all current and future filters, as well as exclusive access to all new effects and features ahead of release on the original app. This is an extraordinary opportunity to harness all the amazing effects from Distressed FX. If you are ready to take your photos to the next level, this is the ideal investment at a bargain price. Creating gorgeous artwork from your photos has never been easier. With Distressed FX, simply take a photo and choose from a wide range of textured images and overlays. Transform even the most mundane photo into a work of art. See our hashtag #distressedFX on Instagram to see 100k+ examples! ** Featured by Mac Format and Black + White Photography Magazine Join us at: www.facebook.com/DistressedFX www.instagram.com/distressedfxapp/ • Particularly suited to still life and landscape photography - this app will perfectly compliment your existing collection of photo apps. Distressed FX is powered by the textures of Cheryl Tarrant, a texture artist from Tennessee. Her popular and unique style is now available in your pocket, wherever you go. • Follow Cheryl on Instagram http://instagram.com/distressedfxapp • Be our friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/DistressedFX • Follow us on Twitter : @distressedfx See examples of the Cheryl's distinctive work here: www.flickr.com/photos/jewellofdistressed/ ** Find out more about Distressed Textures at www.distressedfx.com & www.distressedtextures.com Distressed FX (tm) is a trademark of Cheryl Tarrant in the United States of America.

Screenshots

Aquarella4 screens
Distressed FX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Aquarella at $4.99 against Distressed FX's $19.99. Aquarella also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (85% vs 72%). Distressed FX's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 117) and chart position (#192 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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

Aquarella costs $4.99 and Distressed FX $19.99 up front. Distressed FX sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Aquarella asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Aquarella against 4.8 for Distressed FX. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distressed FX has 1.2K ratings behind it against 117, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Aquarella's written reviews are positive against 72% of Distressed FX's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aquarella ships an update every 4 months, Distressed FX every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Aquarella versus Distressed FX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAquarellaDistressed FX
Price$4.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.7 (117 ratings)4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.4% of reviews — better72.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1171.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#192 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJixiPix, LLCWe Are Here

Customer experience

Aquarella

All ratings116 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.9%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive85.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative12.2%

Distressed FX

All ratings1,234 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral5.9%
Negative21.8%

Bugs and requests

Aquarella

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Distressed FX

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to download or load certain textures/overlays
  • App crashing when opening photos
  • Saving edited photos at lower resolutions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Masking and selective editing tools
  • Zoom and precise control for editing
  • Ability to use app on Mac devices
  • Improved customer support and communication

In-app purchases

None

Aquarella

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Distressed FX

One-time10
  • Beyond SkiesFree
  • The HeavensFree
  • Bokeh IllusionsFree
Show 7 more
  • The LightsFree
  • Box of colorsFree
  • Old World GalleryFree
  • Painterly GrungeFree
  • The NeutralsFree
  • Vintage CollectionFree
  • Atmospheric LightFree

Questions

Is Aquarella free?
Aquarella costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Distressed FX free?
Distressed FX costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Aquarella or Distressed FX?
Distressed FX is rated higher. Aquarella averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while Distressed FX averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Aquarella or Distressed FX have ads?
Neither Aquarella nor Distressed FX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aquarella or Distressed FX?
Aquarella ships an update every 4 months, and Distressed FX every 3 months. Most recently, Aquarella was updated on November 10, 2026 and Distressed FX on November 6, 2026.

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