Comparison

Stop Motion Studio Pro vs Dragonframe Tether

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

Head to head
About

Stop Motion Studio Pro

Create stop motion animations with powerful yet easy-to-use tools. An Apple-featured app for making stunning animated films with everyday objects, drawings, or clay. Offers advanced editing, manual camera controls, sound integration, and easy sharing options.

Highlights
  • Onion skinning and animation guides
  • Frame-by-frame editing
  • Manual camera controls
  • Voiceover and sound effects
  • Green screen effects
  • 4K export and direct sharing
Features
Read full description

Join 25 million creators making stop motion animation with ease. Stop Motion Studio is the Apple-featured app for creating stunning stop motion films. Enjoy powerful creative tools with no ads, no tracking, and no subscriptions. Stop Motion Studio is the easiest and most powerful stop motion animation maker for iPhone and iPad. Create beautiful animated films with LEGO, clay, drawings, or everyday objects — no experience required. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned animator, Stop Motion Studio gives you everything you need to turn your ideas into motion. Loved by Millions Worldwide * Over 25 million creators and counting * Rated 4.7 stars with more than 65,000 reviews * Featured in Apple’s “Life on iPad” TV commercial “Stop Motion Studio makes it easy to create your own stop-motion movies.” – The Washington Post “Brings out the LEGO moviemaking geek in all of us.” – TechNewsWorld Create and Edit with Precision * Onion skinning and animation guides for perfect alignment * Interactive timeline and frame-by-frame editing * Copy, paste, cut, and insert frames with ease * Rotoscoping: draw over videos for unique effects * Built-in drawing tools, text cards, and speech bubbles * Erase unwanted objects and add facial expressions or layers * Merge frames to simulate motion blur or speed effects Capture Every Frame * Full manual camera controls: focus, exposure, ISO, and white balance * Timelapse capture mode for automatic shooting * Use your Apple Watch or another device as a remote camera Add Sound and Style * Record voiceovers and narration directly in the app * Add sound effects, background music, or import from your library * Use filters, fades, and transitions for cinematic results * Green screen effects let you place characters anywhere Share Your Masterpiece * Export your films in 4K or 1080p HD * Share directly to YouTube, TikTok, or save as a GIF or iMessage sticker * Transfer projects via AirDrop, iCloud, or Dropbox * Start on iPhone and finish on Mac — your work stays in sync Learn and Improve * Step-by-step tutorials and creative tips included * Built-in manual for quick guidance and inspiration Yours to Create No ads. No tracking. No subscriptions. Your data stays private and your creativity stays yours. Download Stop Motion Studio today. Join millions of creators and bring your imagination to life — one frame at a time.

About

Dragonframe Tether

Transform your iOS device into a professional camera for stop motion animation software. Stream a live video preview to your computer, control camera settings, and capture high-quality images directly. Requires Dragonframe 4 or newer on a desktop.

Highlights
  • Use iPhone/iPad as capture source
  • Live video preview on desktop
  • Control shutter speed, ISO, focus, white balance
  • Capture JPG or DNG images
  • Direct image transfer to computer
Features
Read full description

Use your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad as a capture source in Dragonframe 4 stop motion animation software. Instructions: 1. Connect your iOS device to your computer via a USB cable. 2. Launch Dragonframe software on the computer. 3. Launch DF Tether on your device. Dragonframe will automatically detect it and connect to it. Once connected: * Dragonframe will show a video preview using the iOS camera. * You can control shutter speed, ISO, focus and white balance. * Capture JPG or DNG images directly to the computer. (The specific functionality varies by camera.) NOTE: Requires Dragonframe 4 or newer on a macOS, Windows, or Linux desktop system. Dragonframe 4 is a separate purchase, and not included with this app. See http://www.dragonframe.com for more details. NOTE: Windows users must install iTunes.

Screenshots

Stop Motion Studio Pro4 screens
Dragonframe Tether3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dragonframe Tether at Free against Stop Motion Studio Pro's $5.99. Dragonframe Tether also leads on iOS requirement (14 vs 16.6). Stop Motion Studio Pro's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 43%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.2). On ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Dragonframe Tether is free to download; Stop Motion Studio Pro costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stop Motion Studio Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stop Motion Studio Pro has 14K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Stop Motion Studio Pro's written reviews are positive against 43% of Dragonframe Tether's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stop Motion Studio Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, Dragonframe Tether every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Stop Motion Studio Pro versus Dragonframe Tether: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStop Motion Studio ProDragonframe Tether
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better4.2 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews79.5% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better15
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#11 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.614 — better
Further details — not scored
Size180 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCATEATER, LLCDZED Systems LLC

Customer experience

Stop Motion Studio Pro

All ratings13,668 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.5%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews769 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative13.1%

Dragonframe Tether

All ratings15 ratings
Positive73.3%
Neutral13.3%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral19.0%
Negative38.1%

Bugs and requests

Stop Motion Studio Pro

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Remote camera feature not working
  • FPS resetting to 5 after changing settings
  • Tutorial constantly reappearing
  • Frames disappearing when duplicating
  • Zooming and framing issues
Show 1 more
  • Audio trimming not working

Requested features

6 requests
  • More sound effects and music options
  • Ability to sort projects into folders
  • More drawing and visual effects options
  • Ability to merge videos/projects
  • 60fps support
Show 1 more
  • Ability to only use mouth or eyes for facial expressions

Dragonframe Tether

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Stop Motion Studio Pro

No in-app purchases

None

Dragonframe Tether

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stop Motion Studio Pro free?
Stop Motion Studio Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dragonframe Tether free?
Dragonframe Tether is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stop Motion Studio Pro or Dragonframe Tether?
Stop Motion Studio Pro is rated higher. Stop Motion Studio Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Dragonframe Tether averages 4.2 from 15 ratings.
Do Stop Motion Studio Pro or Dragonframe Tether have ads?
Neither Stop Motion Studio Pro nor Dragonframe Tether shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stop Motion Studio Pro or Dragonframe Tether?
Stop Motion Studio Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dragonframe Tether every 3 months. Most recently, Stop Motion Studio Pro was updated on September 29, 2026 and Dragonframe Tether on September 14, 2026.

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