Comparison

Elf Studio® vs The North Pole Gnomes

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

Head to head
About

Elf Studio®

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
Read full description

Welcome to Elf Studio®! The latest marvel from the Software Elves here at the North Pole Command Center (Creators of Speak to Santa)! Turn your elf's Christmas mischief into photos and videos set in your own home! Put them under the tree, send them towards the cookie jar, or dream up a surprise of your own. - SCAN YOUR OWN ELF! Start with one photo of your elf toy, with room for up to four views. Every account includes one elf scan. Elf Studio Pro includes ten a month, with no additional credit charge. - NO TOY? DRAW OR DESCRIBE ONE! Sketch your elf on the drawing pad or describe it in words, and the AI turns it into an elf you can cast in any scene. - QUICK CREATE OR STUDIO! Pick an elf and a photo, then describe the action, or stage your photo by dragging elves and props into place, choosing poses and adjusting sizes. - GET HELP WITH THE WORDS! Studio builds a scene script from your layout. Get Ideas suggests actions for your photo, and Improve helps rewrite your prompt. - AI PHOTOS & VIDEOS! Make photo takes, compare them and animate your favorite. Cast up to three elves with their own roles in the scene. - DIRECT THE SHOT! Create five-second AI videos with Natural, Stop Motion or Storybook styling, camera movement, portrait or landscape framing and optional generated sound. Use start and end images to guide the action. - MAKE AN EXAMPLE YOUR OWN! Browse scene ideas and use an example recipe with your chosen elf and your own photo. - THE ELF WORKSHOP! Choose ready-made elves in classic and felt styles, or design one in 3D with hair, hats, outfits, gloves, shoes, glasses and colors, with a live preview. - ENHANCE WITH AI! Give your elf a lifelike look and keep different looks to choose from. - BRING THE PROPS! Pick from the prop shelf, scan a toy or describe a prop for the AI to create reference pictures. - STICKERS & POSES! Make AI stickers of your elf striking new poses, then use those poses in your Studio photos. Add a bust sticker of any custom elf, made right on your device. - SEND THEM IN MESSAGES! Open Elf Studio® in the Messages app drawer to send the cast, your own elves and the stickers you have made. - HOME SCREEN WIDGETS! Count the sleeps until Christmas or until your elf arrives, with a posed elf of your choice keeping watch. - MAKE THEM AR-READY! Generate a 3D model of a scanned elf or prop before placing it in your room. - FILM IN AUGMENTED REALITY! Place AR-ready elves and props on your floor, draw walking routes, add stops and choose animations. Capture AR photos and videos, with Look at Camera, footsteps, lighting and actions you can trigger while filming. AR needs a compatible device. - CATCH THEIR FACES! Record the viewer's reaction as your video plays. Reaction recordings stay on your device and are not uploaded to Elf Studio®. - ADD THE FINISHING TOUCH! Apply eight video looks and filters without changing the original. Find your creations in the Gallery, save them to Photos and share the files. AI generation needs an internet connection. Once a job is sent, it can continue on our servers while you leave the app. Enable notifications to hear when it is ready. Your Gallery is stored on this device. Elf Studio® does not provide cloud library backup, so export the memories you want to keep. AI or AR. Photo or video. Your elf, your home, your Christmas story! Elf Studio® is created by North Pole Command Centre Limited and works with any toy. Elf Studio® is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Elf on the Shelf®, but many families use Elf Studio® alongside their existing Elf on the Shelf traditions. Made by the software elves here at the North Pole Command Center! Elf Studio® is a registered trademark in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States. All rights reserved.

About

The North Pole Gnomes

Embark on a magical adventure with Santa's helpers! Explore snowy landscapes, play mini-games, customize your gnome, and discover festive challenges. Track your Naughty or Nice status and capture memories with photo frames.

Highlights
  • Explore Mt. Gnomemore
  • Snowboard Showdown mini-game
  • Snow Maze challenge
  • Spider Stomp combat
  • Name and customize your gnome
  • Naughty Meter tracking
  • Advent Calendar challenges
Read full description

Meet The North Pole Gnomes! Santa’s new helpers… or mischief makers? The North Pole Gnomes are Santa’s new BFFs, tasked with monitoring the Naughty Meter, Santa’s Nice List, and all his mail! Have you been Naughty or Nice this year? Sneak a peek at the gnomes hard at work and find out your current Naughty Meter reading! The North Pole Gnomes is the official companion app that welcomes children into the magical world of the gnomes. Name your gnome, then join him on his snowy island for hours of magical misadventures! EXPLORE MT. GNOMEMORE Mt. Gnomemore’s been busy, and we suspect cookie-fueled magic. Take your 3D gnome on a walkabout through the mysterious wintery world of The North Pole Gnomes: - Snowboard Showdown – Race colorful rivals down Mt. Gnomemore. Shred the slopes or wipe out spectacularly! - Snow Maze – Find your way through the magical maze before the snow shifts. - Spider Stomp – Beware the caves of Mt. Gnomemore, where a snow spider attack may be lurking. Grab a magic cookie and go BIG! - Santa’s Mail Mischief – Zany action, including twin penguins causing an avalanche of trouble. - Jumping – Tap the up arrow on the right thumbstick (or A on a controller) for a nifty bounce. GNOME LIFE - Name Your Gnome – Give your gnome a nickname to remember the day you became friends. - Naughty Meter – Watch the gnomes wrestle over the Naughty Meter and see if you’ve been Naughty or Nice this year. - Gnome Gear – You asked, your gnomes delivered! Dress up your gnome with a fanciful selection of swatches. Just watch out for enchanted apparel. - North Pole Gnome Gathering Post – Your island headquarters for tasks, records, news and eligible rewards. - North Pole Passport – Take on adventures and collect illustrated milestone stamps to remember your magical moments. - Advent Calendar – Discover daily December challenges and festive rewards. CAPTURE THE MAGIC - Photo Frames – Snap pictures of your gnome with the camera icon and add some flair with festive frames. - Photo Gallery – View your in-game pictures, plus a global gallery of the gnomes’ adventures around the world. Plus external controller support via Bluetooth and many more magical discoveries to be found! YOUR SECRET CODE, EXPLAINED No North Pole Gnomes product? No problem! Enter the promotional code 0000000 (7 zeros) to name your gnome, explore and play, including the Passport and seasonal Advent activities. Have a North Pole Gnomes product? Enter its included secret code for the full experience: exclusive apparel you can unlock and earn, personalized Santa Naughty Meter readings, linked-account features, and access to the global gallery. Rewards still follow their challenges and seasonal dates. Join your North Pole Gnome today. Santa’s watching! The North Pole Gnomes promote positive social development by focusing on friendship, personal responsibility, caring for others, and respect while instigating an inquisitive spirit for adventurous young minds. This game collects non-personal user data (including aggregated data). User data collection is in accordance with applicable law, such as COPPA. User data may be used, for example, to respond to user requests; enable users to take advantage of certain features and services; personalize content; and manage and improve North Pole Letters’ services. For more information regarding North Pole Letters' use of non-personal user data, please visit the North Pole Letters’ Privacy Policy below. Our Privacy Policy is in addition to any terms, conditions or policies agreed to between you and Apple, Inc. North Pole Letters is not responsible for Apple's collection or use of your personal user data and information. Use of this game is subject to the North Pole Letters End User License Agreement.

Screenshots

Elf Studio®4 screens
The North Pole Gnomes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The North Pole Gnomes at 100% against Elf Studio®'s 45%. The North Pole Gnomes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Elf Studio®'s advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (3.8K vs 4). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. Elf Studio® sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. The North Pole Gnomes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The North Pole Gnomes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elf Studio® has 3.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Elf Studio®'s written reviews are positive against 100% of The North Pole Gnomes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Elf Studio® ships an update every 6 days, The North Pole Gnomes every 12 months. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Elf Studio® versus The North Pole Gnomes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElf Studio®The North Pole Gnomes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.8K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.8K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size343 MB681 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNorth Pole Command Centre LimitedNorth Pole Letters LLC

Customer experience

Elf Studio®

All ratings3,780 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral6.1%
Negative48.5%

The North Pole Gnomes

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Elf Studio®

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to scan surfaces for elf placement
  • Crashes and freezes when trying to use app

Requested features

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

The North Pole Gnomes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Elf Studio®

Subscriptions5
  • Unlock Elf Studio$1.991 Month
  • Elf Studio™ - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Unlock Elf Studio$3.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Elf Studio™ - Annual$6.991 Year
  • Elf Studio Pro - Annual$9.991 Year
One-time5
  • 50+ Elf Dance Animations$0.99
  • 1 Elf Video Credit$1.99
  • 5 Elf Video Credits$7.99
Show 2 more
  • Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass$19.99
  • 50 Credits - Pro Price$34.99
None

The North Pole Gnomes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Elf Studio® free?
Elf Studio® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The North Pole Gnomes free?
The North Pole Gnomes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Elf Studio® or The North Pole Gnomes?
The North Pole Gnomes is rated higher. Elf Studio® averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while The North Pole Gnomes averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Elf Studio® or The North Pole Gnomes have ads?
Neither Elf Studio® nor The North Pole Gnomes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Elf Studio® or The North Pole Gnomes?
Elf Studio® ships an update every 6 days, and The North Pole Gnomes every 12 months. Most recently, Elf Studio® was updated on November 7, 2026 and The North Pole Gnomes on November 7, 2026.

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