Astral vs NameForge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Astral
This app allows users to create the illusion of producing small objects from their phone. It features advanced AI for object extraction and a natural forcing mechanism to make the production seem impossible. It's designed for entertainment purposes, offering customizable performance presets.
- Force any object naturally
- Produce small objects from phone
- Advanced AI for object extraction
- Quick Produce Mode for instant performance
- Combine forcing and production effects
- Create and store custom presets
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Astral lets you force anything and produce any small object from your phone. Created by Henry Harrius and Marc Kerstein, Astral includes *two* effects: the best way to force anything, and the best way to produce an object. These are even better when combined together. Unlike other object production effects, using Astral's force mode lets your spectator seemingly decide upon which object will be used, making the object's production seem even more impossible. Force anything: Astral uses a carefully developed forcing mechanism that feels totally natural, whilst ensuring the screen always remains in view. Make something appear: Whether you drag it or time it, Astral lets you make any small object appear in whichever way works best for you. Astral includes advanced but easy-to-use features, such as: * Advanced AI Cutting-edge AI automatically extracts any small object from a photo, making Astral super easy to use. * Quick Produce Mode Found a small item that would be perfect to produce? Astral's "Quick Produce Mode" combined with its AI image extraction ensures that you're ready to perform in no time. * Two Effects, One App Astral gives you the fairest selection process with the cleanest production. Combining these gives the feeling that *any* object could have been produced. And more... - Create and store multiple presets to customise your performance. - Force any object in a natural way before production. - Store separate force and production images the object. This app is for entertainment purposes only.
NameForge
This tool transforms any word into a personalized acrostic for mentalism performances. It offers seamless input and output options, with optional pro features for enhanced routines and community sharing.
- Word to acrostic generation
- Customizable input and output
- Pro features via in-app purchases
- Apple Watch integration
- Voice and camera input
- Community sharing of routines
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NAMEFORGE - MODERN MENTALISM, FORGED TO PERFECTION Created by professional mentalist Paul Brook, NameForge is a cutting-edge mentalism tool that transforms a simple word into a powerful, personalised moment of mentalism. Take a name - typed, spoken*, or selected - and instantly generate a compelling acrostic, where the first letter of each line spells out the original word. It feels deeply personal to your participant, yet the method remains entirely invisible. Whether you’re performing on stage, close-up, or over video, NameForge delivers genuine impact - without giving away your secrets. CUSTOMISED INPUT AND OUTPUT, SEAMLESS DELIVERY Any word can be inputted into NameForge, which will then be turned into an acrostic - where the first letter of each word creates another word. After the acrostic is made, it can then be sent virtually anywhere you want, via the predefined outputs, or use the customisable outputs to send to somewhere specific. PRO FEATURES FOR WORKING PERFORMERS Enhance your routines with optional Pro features (In-App Purchases): • Apple Watch Peek – discreet reveals on your wrist • Voice Input – speak the word aloud to create the acrostic • Camera Input – show a written word to any of your phone's cameras to input it • Unforged Sending – send unformatted words to any integration • Search Result Output – make their phone show your prediction • Add More API Outputs – connect to more integrations COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SHARING Profiles and word lists can be shared between performers with ease, letting you explore and perform community-favourite routines in seconds. CONSTANTLY EVOLVING NameForge is packed with tools and always evolving - ready to help you create miracles, anywhere, anytime. *Voice Input requires the ‘Voice Input’ In-App purchase.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Astral at $59.99 against NameForge's $69.99. Astral also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). NameForge's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, monetization model and iOS requirement 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
Astral costs $59.99 and NameForge $69.99 up front. NameForge sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Astral asks for nothing beyond the download.
Astral holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Astral's written reviews are positive against 90% of NameForge's.
Astral ships an update every 2 weeks, NameForge every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Astral | NameForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59.99 — better | $69.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (14 ratings) — better | 4.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 90.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marc Kerstein | Paul Michael Brook |
Customer experience
Astral
NameForge
In-app purchases
Astral
No in-app purchases
NameForge
- Unforged Output$29.99
- API Inputs$29.99
- Watch Peek$49.99
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- Voice Input$49.99
- Camera Input$49.99
- Search Result Output$49.99









