# Microsoft Designer vs Pika

The clearest difference is ads: Microsoft Designer at none against Pika's shown. Microsoft Designer also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 56%) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Pika's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 557). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Designer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pika sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pika holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pika has 4.3K ratings behind it against 557, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Microsoft Designer's written reviews are positive against 56% of Pika's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft Designer ships an update every 3 weeks, Pika fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Designer | Pika |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (557 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-designer/id6448308247/reviews) | **[4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pika-ai-video/id6680155400/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 557 | **4.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.1% of reviews** | 55.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #142 | **#101** |
| Size | 76 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Mellis, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768171943) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-designer/id6448308247)

**Currently charting:** #142 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Visually create and edit anything imaginable with AI. Generate unique images from text, design personalized cards and wallpapers, and enhance photos by removing distractions or backgrounds.

**Highlights:** AI image generation, Custom sticker creation, Generative erase tool, Background removal, Custom wallpaper design, Greeting card creation, Photo restyling

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 Basic Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family Yearly | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with Microsoft 365
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Powerful AI-powered design capabilities
- 💡 Versatile and creative features
- 🎉 Fun and enjoyable to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Strict content guidelines
- 💰 Subscription-based model with limited free usage
- 📱 Limited functionality on iPad devices

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent performance and loading issues
- Inability to view or manage past designs on mobile
- Unexpected content restrictions and rejections

**Requested features**

- AI-powered video editing capabilities
- More advanced image editing tools
- Improved handling of diverse character designs
- Better organization and navigation of past projects


### Pika

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pika-ai-video/id6680155400)

**Currently charting:** #101 Top Free · Graphics & Design, #123 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This AI-powered video creation tool lets you transform your wildest ideas into reality. Easily swap elements in existing videos, generate custom memes from selfies, or create entirely new scenes and effects using text prompts or photos. Unleash your imagination with a vast array of creative possibilities.

**Highlights:** AI video generation, Pikaswaps for element replacement, Pikamemes from selfies, Pikadditions for adding elements, Pikaffects like melt and squish, Image-to-video conversion, Text-to-video generation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard Weekly | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Starter | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Weekly | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Standard Monthly | $16.00 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $35.00 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $35.00 | per month |
| Fancy Weekly | $48.00 | per 7 days |
| Creator | $49.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $199.00 | per year |
| 1,500 Credits | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🥰 Amazing AI video model
- 👍 Great visual effects
- 🤩 Fun and silly
- 🎉 Brings photos to life

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent video quality
- 💰 Deceptive pricing
- 🔒 Low security issues
- 🚫 Not ready for public use

**Reported bugs**

- Video generation not working properly
- Login issues

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved video generation quality
- Transparent pricing model


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Designer free?

Microsoft Designer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pika free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Designer or Pika?

Pika is rated higher. Microsoft Designer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 557 ratings, while Pika averages 4.7 from 4.3K ratings.

### Do Microsoft Designer or Pika have ads?

Pika shows ads; Microsoft Designer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Designer or Pika?

Microsoft Designer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pika fortnightly. Most recently, Microsoft Designer was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pika on November 6, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Microsoft Designer or Pika?

Microsoft Designer currently peaks at #142 in the App Store charts, and Pika at #101. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*