Square FX with Shape Overlay vs Distressed FX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Square FX with Shape Overlay
Easily fit full-size photos into a square format for social media without cropping. Customize your images with a variety of background options, including colors, gradients, and patterns, and fine-tune your photos with intuitive editing tools.
- Fit full-size photos without cropping
- Move, rotate, scale, and flip photos
- Customizable color backgrounds
- Gradient and pattern backgrounds
- Automatic full-size fitting
- Touch and drag editing
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You can easily fit full-size photo in square and post it to Instagram with SquareFX without cropping it. SquareFX also allows you easily move, rotate, scale, or flip the photo. You may also change the background of the photo to make it looks even more beautiful and awesome! You have different kinds of backgrounds to choose from the app including tons of color backgrounds, gradient backgrounds, and beautiful patterns. Try it now. you will like it! Features * Touch and drag the photo to move * Pinch to scale and rotate * Fit full-size photo automatically * Fit to the width / to the height of the photo * Flip & Rotate * Color Backgrounds * Gradient Backgrounds * Pattern Backgrounds Support Any of Your Photos Portrait Landscape Panorama
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Square FX with Shape Overlay at Free against Distressed FX's $19.99. Square FX with Shape Overlay also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Distressed FX's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, in-app purchases 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
Square FX with Shape Overlay is free to download; Distressed FX costs $19.99 up front. Square FX with Shape Overlay sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Distressed FX sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Distressed FX holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distressed FX has 1.2K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Square FX with Shape Overlay's written reviews are positive against 72% of Distressed FX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Square FX with Shape Overlay ships an update every 9 months, Distressed FX every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Square FX with Shape Overlay | Distressed FX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 3.0 (23 ratings) | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 72.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 23 | 1.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #192 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ki Tat Chung | We Are Here |
Customer experience
Square FX with Shape Overlay
Distressed FX
User reviews
Square FX with Shape Overlay
From 23 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast processing
- ✨ Simple interface
- ✅ Does what it says
- 🖼️ Good for Instagram
Room to improve
- 😠 Ads after purchase
- 💸 Paid upgrade ineffective
- 🔗 Broken support link
- 📉 Low resolution saves
- 🚫 Video cropping not supported
Distressed FX
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Creative and artistic photo editing
- 🎨 Excellent texture and overlay options
- 💡 Customizable layers and blending modes
- 🎨 Ability to create unique digital art
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with new iOS versions
- 🐛 Crashing and download errors
- 🐛 Inability to restore previous purchases
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions and tutorials
Bugs and requests
Square FX with Shape Overlay
Reported bugs
6 issues- Ads still present after purchase
- Black line appears on saved photos
- App no longer allows picking photos after iOS upgrade
- Random black line on bottom and right side of pictures
- Green line next to photo after cropping
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- Icon image not displaying on iPad
Requested features
5 requests- Make Settings gear icon do more
- Options for sizing (pinch & zoom, vectors, pixels, percentages)
- Add holiday shape pack
- Allow selecting background image from camera roll
- Use eyedropper tool for background color selection
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
Square FX with Shape Overlay
- Love Pack$0.99
- Animal Pack$0.99
- Frame Pack$0.99
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- Art Pack$0.99
- Flag Pack$0.99
- Arrow Pack$0.99
- Letter Pack$0.99
- Weather Pack$0.99
- Nature Pack$0.99
- Pro Feature Pack$1.99
Distressed FX
- Beyond SkiesFree
- The HeavensFree
- Bokeh IllusionsFree
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- The LightsFree
- Artist BeginningsFree
- Box of colorsFree
- Old World GalleryFree
- Obscure TexturesFree
- Painterly GrungeFree
- Sky BeautyFree
- The NeutralsFree
- Vintage CollectionFree
- Atmospheric LightFree
Questions
Is Square FX with Shape Overlay free?
Is Distressed FX free?
Which has better reviews, Square FX with Shape Overlay or Distressed FX?
Do Square FX with Shape Overlay or Distressed FX have ads?
Which is updated more often, Square FX with Shape Overlay or Distressed FX?
Other comparisons
