Comparison

Dots on Faces vs StochasticGrain

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

Head to head
About

Dots on Faces

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The App does literally what its title claims: take a picture containing faces, and it will place a brightly colored dot over each one. Which by the way, is a direct and pretty literal interpretation of a quote by the Artist himself: I will be remembered as "the artist who put dots over people's faces" Features: "Instant Artification" Snap a selfie, lose your face. Add a dot, become art. Who needs identity when you can have abstraction? Make your friends ask, 'Is this art?' and answer with a smug 'Meeh..'” "Dot Your Selfies" Because why not? Capture your essence, then cover it with a bright circle. Transform ordinary moments into confusing masterpieces. Feel sophisticated, even if it’s just a Tuesday morning. "The Art of Disguise" Why show real faces when you can hide them with a dot? Create enigmatic portraits with a single tap. Because true art is all about giving up your ego, one dot at a time. "This App Will Change Your Life" Not really. It's just another way to pass the time, to distract from the existential dread, to connect with strangers and to share pictures of your lunch. Tap, swipe, and pretend it means something. John Baldessari (1931-2020) Artist, provacateur, and the person who made text art cool. Known for merging painting, photography, and words into something that made people say, 'Is this art?' and then, 'Hell Yes, it is.' He spent over fifty years turning the mundane into the extraordinary, proving that sometimes, art is just a 'dot on a face'.

About

StochasticGrain

Features
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Unlike simple noise overlays, this app uses a physics-based approach where grain density responds to image brightness, just like analog film. Shadows show more grain, highlights stay cleaner. The result feels organic rather than digital. Built on academic research by Newson, Delon, and Galerne (2017) modeling stochastic film grain through Boolean models, with real-time optimizations informed by Zhang et al.'s 2023 SIGGRAPH work. These papers describe how actual silver halide crystals distribute in photographic emulsion. Exposure-dependent grain that responds to image luminance Real-time preview as you adjust Designed for film photography enthusiasts A passion project for anyone who appreciates the texture of analog photography.

Screenshots

Dots on Faces4 screens
StochasticGrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dots on Faces at none against StochasticGrain's 2. Dots on Faces also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 7 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. StochasticGrain sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Dots on Faces asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dots on Faces ships an update every 2 days, StochasticGrain every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Dots on Faces versus StochasticGrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDots on FacesStochasticGrain
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days β€” betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better17.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size1 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperImaginary Institute s.r.l.Islam Seisembay

In-app purchases

None

Dots on Faces

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

StochasticGrain

One-time2
  • Small Coffee$0.99
  • Large Coffee$2.99

Questions

Is Dots on Faces free?
Dots on Faces is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is StochasticGrain free?
StochasticGrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dots on Faces or StochasticGrain have ads?
Neither Dots on Faces nor StochasticGrain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dots on Faces or StochasticGrain?
Dots on Faces ships an update every 2 days, and StochasticGrain every 7 months. Most recently, Dots on Faces was updated on September 18, 2026 and StochasticGrain on September 9, 2026.

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