# bitwave vs Altered States

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: bitwave at none against Altered States's 2. Altered States's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Altered States sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. bitwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

bitwave ships an update every 5 weeks, Altered States every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bitwave | Altered States |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitwave-pixel-art-camera/id6480365065/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.2** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Demian Nezhdanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703677495) | [Kwong Wa Chu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896742335) |

## What reviewers say

### bitwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitwave-pixel-art-camera/id6480365065)

Transform photos and videos into retro-inspired pixel art with a variety of filters and effects. Create unique avatars, social media content, or game-inspired visuals with a creator-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Real-time pixel art camera filters, Pixelate photos and videos instantly, Multiple pixel styles and resolutions, Custom color palettes and retro effects, Live camera preview, Save and share directly to social media

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Altered States

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altered-states-live-fx/id6770429516)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Altered States Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Altered States Pro Annual | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is bitwave free?

bitwave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Altered States free?

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

### Do bitwave or Altered States have ads?

Neither bitwave nor Altered States shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, bitwave or Altered States?

bitwave ships an update every 5 weeks, and Altered States every 5 days. Most recently, bitwave was updated on November 4, 2026 and Altered States on November 5, 2026.

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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.*