Comparison

Subliminal vs Redirect

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

Head to head
About

Subliminal

Generate AI-powered images that creatively reveal a spectator's thought-of word. This tool integrates with existing magic effects to provide a unique visual reveal, leaving a memorable keepsake.

Highlights
  • AI-generated hidden text images
  • Photo grid reveal
  • Single image modes
  • Stretched and upside-down image reveals
  • Multiple input methods (gyro, voice, notes, web)
  • Integration with magic apps and APIs
  • URL triggers for automation
Read full description

Magicians already have a bunch of ways to peek or force a word: From analogue methods like a Center Tear, to something more modern, such as WikiTest or DFB X. But what magicians *don't* have are many interesting ways to reveal that word. This is why I created Subliminal: Subliminal uses AI generated imagery to reveal a spectator's thought, hidden in a photo that they were looking at *the entire time*! ** Here's an example of one effect possible with Subliminal: - To begin, you show your spectator a photo on your phone. - You zoom in on the photo, before leaving your phone on the table and you never touch it again. - The spectator is asked to name a word. - You then ask the spectator to zoom out of the image, where they now realise that the word they named has been seemingly hidden within the photo the entire time. ** Subliminal also works perfectly with your existing effects! Let's say you've performed an effect (perhaps you’ve peeked a word) and have learned the spectator's thought-of word. Rather than just telling your spectator their thought, Subliminal lets you reveal this thought creatively! It's perfect in conjunction with existing analogue and digital effects, from a Center Tear peek to DFB. Features: * Photo Grid You show the spectator some photos in the Photos app on your phone. As you slowly zoom out, the photos turn into letters, which reveal the spectator's thought! * Single Image Modes Reveal the spectator's thought of word within a photo of dogs, windows on a street, the tops of mountains, and more! * Stretched Images Stretched image modes further disguise the reveal until the spectator looks at the screen at an angle, for a fun reveal. * Upside down stretched images Flip the phone upside down to see the hidden word. ** Multiple input methods are included, enabling multiple effects: - Gyro input - for precision typing. - Voice input - with voice peek. - Earworm Notes - a realistic notes app input. - Earworm Web Search - use covert web search input with Subliminal. - WikiTest integration - have the spectator’s Wikipedia search automatically update the image. - Bridge integration - for use with many other apps and AI text inputs. - Open API - for third party integrations. - URL triggers - use Shortcuts to change your iPhone's wallpaper, and more! As well as native WikiTest, Earworm and Bridge integration, Subliminal also supports your favourite magic app’s API. Plus, Subliminal can even be triggered via a URL, meaning Shortcuts can tie in with the app to change your iPhone’s wallpaper, and more! Subliminal currently supports any words or phrases that use the characters A-Z, spaces, and numbers 0-9. At the conclusion of the effect performed with Subliminal, you can even share the photo with the word to your spectator, leaving them with the memory of the effect on their phone! No extra hidden costs, purchases or subscriptions - Subliminal is all you need to generate your own hidden text AI images!

About

Redirect

This app allows users to create custom short URLs for all their web links, acting as a single point of access. It integrates with device shortcuts to automatically redirect based on the magic app being used, simplifying link management for performers.

Highlights
  • Custom short URL creation
  • Automatic redirection with Shortcuts
  • NFC link scanning
  • Manual link entry
  • Open API for developer integration
  • Set and forget functionality
Read full description

Welcome to Redirect In magic there are so many magic apps that use web links, it can be quite difficult to have to remember them all. In 2021, Joshua Riley & Paul Longhurst released an app called Portal which allowed users to house links under one fake website, this was great but it meant it was another fake page that the spectator sees. This is why I created Redirect, this is a brand new app that allows you to create your own custom short url and this is one link to rule them all, forget having to remember any other link. With the power of Redirect & Shortcuts* you can have it setup to automatically set the correct redirect url based on what magic app you have open on your phone, it’s crazy right? It works with any web link that can be either scanned in via NFC or entered in manually and there will soon be an open API so that any developer can integrate directly into their magic apps Setup is very straightforward and should only take a few minutes at most, it’s simply set & forget, the app doesn’t need to be open at all, it’ll work all for you so you can focus on your presentation and gig * - This is available at launch but I'm hoping other magic app developers would directly integrate the open API into their apps so it can be fully automatic and much easier setting up.

Screenshots

Subliminal4 screens
Redirect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Redirect at $24.99 against Subliminal's $59.99. Subliminal's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Subliminal costs $59.99 and Redirect $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Subliminal against 5.0 for Redirect. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subliminal has 14 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Subliminal ships an update every 4 days, Redirect monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Subliminal versus Redirect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubliminalRedirect
Price$59.99$24.99 — better
Rating4.9 (14 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#191 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarc KersteinJoshua Riley

Customer experience

Subliminal

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

Redirect

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Subliminal

No in-app purchases

None

Redirect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Subliminal free?
Subliminal costs $59.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Redirect free?
Redirect costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Subliminal or Redirect?
Redirect is rated higher. Subliminal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Redirect averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Subliminal or Redirect have ads?
Neither Subliminal nor Redirect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Subliminal or Redirect?
Subliminal ships an update every 4 days, and Redirect monthly. Most recently, Subliminal was updated on September 12, 2026 and Redirect on September 20, 2026.

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