# Photographic Effects vs Brushstroke

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Brushstroke at 80% against Photographic Effects's 0%. Brushstroke also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.8 vs 1.0). Photographic Effects's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16). On ads there is nothing between them.

Brushstroke is free to download; Photographic Effects costs $0.99 up front. Brushstroke sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Photographic Effects asks for nothing beyond the download.

Brushstroke holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brushstroke has 14K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Photographic Effects's written reviews are positive against 80% of Brushstroke's.

Photographic Effects ships an update every 38 months, Brushstroke monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Photographic Effects | Brushstroke |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photographic-effects/id652757607/reviews) | **[4.8 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushstroke/id824421012/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 1 MB | 127 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luigi Fonti](https://appshunter.io/developer/360904185) | [Code Organa](https://appshunter.io/developer/363410063) |

## What reviewers say

### Photographic Effects

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photographic-effects/id652757607)

This app allows you to apply unique artistic effects to your photos. Choose from bass relief, contour, pseudo colors, or deformation to transform your images. Save your creations or take new photos to process.

**Highlights:** Apply Bass Relief effect, Create Contour drawings, Generate Pseudo Color images, Deform images with barrel distortion, Select images from archive or camera, Save processed images

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Brushstroke

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushstroke/id824421012)

Transform your photos and videos into stunning paintings with a single touch. Edit, personalize with a signature, and share your creations on social media. High-quality canvas prints of your artwork can also be ordered and delivered directly to your home.

**Highlights:** Photo to painting transformation, Video to painting transformation, Signature personalization, Social media sharing, Canvas print ordering, Multiple painting styles

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brushstroke | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Brushstroke | $9.99 | per month |
| Brushstroke | $29.99 | per year |
| Brushstroke | $59.99 | per year |
| Illustration Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Video Paintings | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $6.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $13.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $15.99 | one-time |
| Brushstroke | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Versatile painting effects
- 💡 Helpful for planning paintings
- 🖼️ Turns photos into paintings
- 🎨 Excellent for creating art

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with saving/exporting images
- 🔍 Difficult to find/select photos
- 💰 Expensive for some features
- 🖼️ Printed results not always accurate

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when importing certain photos
- Saved images disappear from camera roll
- Slider controls not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More painting/filter styles
- Ability to adjust brush size/strokes
- Better photo organization/search
- Improved printing quality/options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Photographic Effects free?

Photographic Effects costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Brushstroke free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Photographic Effects or Brushstroke?

Brushstroke is rated higher. Photographic Effects averages 1.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Brushstroke averages 4.8 from 14K ratings.

### Do Photographic Effects or Brushstroke have ads?

Neither Photographic Effects nor Brushstroke shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Photographic Effects or Brushstroke?

Photographic Effects ships an update every 38 months, and Brushstroke monthly. Most recently, Photographic Effects was updated on November 1, 2026 and Brushstroke on November 2, 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.*