Comparison

BSelf Camera vs PhotoRiver

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

Head to head
About

BSelf Camera

Features
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Comparison of the photo before and after applying filters: http://hvacol.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1266 Three Key Unique Features: 1. Real beautification when taking photos When using the camera icon button in this app to take a photo, the photo are automatically enhanced with a realistic portrait imaging style through multiple unique technologies, just like professional photography equipment. From the first version on July 9, 2024, to the 15th version update in March 2026, all technological breakthroughs have been completed, fully and deeply tested, making it mature and practical. This is what makes the app unique and particularly valuable: you look great in just one shot - naturally and effortlessly. This is the biggest difference from AI-generated images, which often feel mechanical and stiff. There is a 0.x second delay when taking a photo, but when shooting a single image, it’s completely negligible. 2. Automatic Photo Color Optimization. Click the Color button, and select the 'Automatic' option from the menu (this menu will automatically pop up when you finish taking a photo or load an photo from the album). It has a strong effect in correcting some messy parts of the photo. It's recommended to try this feature at the very beginning of your photo adjustment process (it usually has an 80%~90% chance of producing excellent results, but there's also about a 10% to 20% chance it could make things worse, which is why it's not integrated into live photo beautification. If it turns out badly: click the Restore button in the top left corner to revert the photo to its original state). 3. 27 art filters covering common areas: portraits, travel, seasons, Japanese style(JStyle), food... 27 Art Filters - Simplifying 27 complex photo-editing methods from software like Photoshop into just 27 buttons: press a button, and you've completed a process that would normally be complicated in Photoshop-like software, involving tedious steps and constant extra learning (because you’ll forget things—not just how to use the software, but even the settings themselves…). Among them, Portrait Art1 and Portrait Art2 – two different levels of detailed enhancement for facial skin, precise adjustments that don't affect facial features, and two different levels of background blur. Thoroughly and deeply tested: making people look more realistically beautiful. Filters like [ Spring Drizzle ] involve more scientific calculations, but the delay is completely negligible. Fine-tuning Filters [ Light ] and [ Color ] menu items: Make real-time fine-tuning to any image currently on the screen. Super easy to use: Click the photo to toggle the menu on and off. Double-click the photo to switch the photo between full-screen fit and full fill modes. You can also use pinch gestures and other actions to freely zoom and pan the image, with a super large zoom ratio to check out photo details. Key logic: Whenever the filter sliding menu pops up, the current state of the photo becomes the initial state for all filters. You can directly compare the effects of different filters just by clicking them one after another (as long as you don't switch to adjustments or other functions in between). All filters don't affect each other. Once you switch to the Light or Color menu and make adjustments, the current state of the photo changes. The next time you open the filter sliding menu, the latest state of the photo will serve as the new initial state for all filters. At any time, the [ Restore ] button in the top left corner is used to quickly restore the photo to the state it was in right after the photo was taken or when the photo file was first loaded. Absolute privacy: runs entirely on iPhone locally In the AI era, a photographer sticking to their craft

About

PhotoRiver

Organize and display your photos with a professional management tool. Browse images in river or grid modes, manage albums, and create life diaries with customizable templates. Perfect for preserving your memories.

Highlights
  • River and grid photo display
  • System and custom album management
  • Photo and text life diaries
  • Multiple photo wall templates
  • Smooth photo browsing experience
Features
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This app uses Apple's Standard End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ PhotoRiver makes organizing your photo library as easy as browsing it. Swipe through your photos and videos full screen, and favorite, tag, or delete each one as you go. IMMERSIVE BROWSING • Swipe up and down, one photo per screen, with videos playing automatically • Favorite, tag, categorize, add notes, or add to albums and diaries right on the photo • Recommended, Memories, and To Organize filters • Switch between four views: River, Grid, Immersive, and Cards CLEANUP HUB • Duplicates and similar photos: compare in groups and keep the best one • Blurry photos: find the shots that didn't come out • Bursts and Live Photos: keep the best frame, clear the rest • Screenshot archiving: clear out screenshots you no longer need, in batches • Large files and video compression: see what's using your storage and compress videos in the app • Monthly review: a few minutes a month keeps your library tidy CAPTURE AND CREATE • Photo diary: combine photos with text, mood, and weather • Photo walls: templates and backgrounds for shareable collages • Albums: manage system and custom albums together • iCloud sync: favorites, tags, and diaries sync across your devices PRIVACY AND SAFETY • All photo analysis happens on your device and is never uploaded to our servers • Every deletion is confirmed first, and deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days

Screenshots

BSelf Camera4 screens
PhotoRiver4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PhotoRiver at Free against BSelf Camera's $2.99. PhotoRiver also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). BSelf Camera's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On ads and device support 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

PhotoRiver is free to download; BSelf Camera costs $2.99 up front. PhotoRiver sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BSelf Camera asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BSelf Camera ships an update monthly, PhotoRiver every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BSelf Camera versus PhotoRiver: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBSelf CameraPhotoRiver
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer俊杰 王Naihe Hu

In-app purchases

None

BSelf Camera

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

PhotoRiver

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Purchase$14.99

Questions

Is BSelf Camera free?
BSelf Camera costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PhotoRiver free?
PhotoRiver is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BSelf Camera or PhotoRiver have ads?
Neither BSelf Camera nor PhotoRiver shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BSelf Camera or PhotoRiver?
BSelf Camera ships an update monthly, and PhotoRiver every 5 months. Most recently, BSelf Camera was updated on October 23, 2026 and PhotoRiver on October 10, 2026.

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