Comparison

Across vs ImgRef

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

Head to head
About

Across

Features
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画面を傾けると絵に奥行きがついて見えます。レイヤーごとの前後の距離は調節可能です

About

ImgRef

This app is an all-in-one creative tool for mood boards, reference images, and collaging. It offers smart asset management, precise color picking, and free-form layout capabilities across multiple devices. Designed for various creative professionals, it streamlines workflows with advanced editing and import/export features.

Highlights
  • Unlimited canvas with smart caching
  • Multi-select batch processing
  • Professional workflow with keyboard shortcuts
  • Image editing and adjustments
  • Dynamic color picker
  • Cross-platform support (iOS/macOS)
  • Video frame extraction
  • GIF decomposition
Features
Read full description

「App Store Editor's Choice」 「98% 5-Star Ratings」 「Cross-Platform for iPhone/iPad/MacOS」 Redefine your creative workflow - an all-in-one tool combining mood boards, reference images, smart asset management, precise color picking, and free-form collaging across devices. Designed for UI/brand/illustration/photography/architecture/video storyboard and other creative scenarios, this is your professional reference image and inspiration board on iPhone / iPad / macOS. Core Features: 1. Unlimited Canvas: Smart caching and image management for large long-term libraries and smooth browsing. 2. Multi-Select Batch Processing: Select multiple images for adaptive scaling, smart layout, uniform size, copy, and alignment. 3. Professional Workflow: Full keyboard shortcuts (Mac / iPad keyboard) for faster frequent actions. 4. Image Editing: Rotate, crop, desaturate, flip, adjust opacity, layers, scale, and more. 5. Dynamic Eyedropper: Pick any canvas color in real time and get common color codes. 6. Video Processing: MP4 playback and 4K still extraction for faster storyboards, covers, and video references. 7. Stylized Text: Built-in fonts and styles make notes, titles, and labels clearer on the canvas. 8. Magnetic Guides: Alignment hints and smart snapping for precise layouts. 9. GIF Decomposition: Break animations into frames for clearer detail references. 10. Import & Backup: Clipboard, photos, folders, drag & drop, export, full backup. 11. Web Drag & Drop: Drag images from Pinterest / ArtStation / Midjourney / Pixiv / Instagram and more. 12. Multiple Modes: View, lock, and edit modes keep browsing and editing separate. 13. Brush Tools: Annotate and highlight key areas for more intuitive communication. 14. File Management: Grid/list views with multiple sorting options. 15. Canvas Zoom: Smooth zoom and pan for comfortable detail viewing. 16. Multi-Select Quick Alignment: Quick alignment/distribution after multi-select. Enhanced Features: 1. Image/GIF/Video Notes: Add notes to capture ideas and key points. 2. Preview Mode: Switch to a clean preview for focused viewing and presentations. 3. Advanced Crop: Fit different aspect ratios and compositions faster for cleaner output. 4. Image Blur: Blur images for privacy protection and richer visual layering. 5. High-Resolution Scene Export (PNG): Export full scenes as HD PNG for sharing and delivery. 6. File Favorites: Save frequent files for quick access to key references. 7. Category Tags: Tag files by use, project, or status for faster filtering. 8. Dotted Background: Toggle a dotted background for clearer edge contrast. 9. Canvas Grayscale: Focus on tone and composition with grayscale view. 10. Image Color Analysis: Extract dominant colors to understand palette relationships. 11. Layer Panel: Preview names, reorder, and quick select for efficient layer management. 12. Scheduled Playback: Timed switching, playback controls, and countdown. 13. Layer Search: Filter by type and keyword to quickly locate target content among many layers. 14. Brush Presets: Switch stroke width, color, and opacity for annotation, highlighting, and sketching. 15. Canvas RGB Single-Channel Preview: View R/G/B channels separately to analyze color distribution, tone, and detail. 16. Link Cards: Turn webpages into cover cards pinned on the canvas; one tap to open 17. Image OCR: One tap reads the text in an image and turns it into a note beside it, so titles, copy, and labels on posters, interfaces, and screenshots can be lifted without retyping. You can subscribe to ImgRef Pro. Charged to your iTunes account on confirmation. Auto-renews unless canceled 24+ hours before period end. Manage in iTunes Store. Privacy Policy: https://xunhuaref.cn/index.php/privacypolicy/ Terms of Use: https://xunhuaref.cn/index.php/privacypolicy/eula-en/ Download now and experience the smoothest creative tool in the Apple ecosystem! Thank you for reading. Contact us: Email: imgref@163.com

Screenshots

Across1 screens
ImgRef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Across at none against ImgRef's 2. ImgRef's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads 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

Both are free to download. ImgRef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Across asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Across ships an update every 3 months, ImgRef every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Across versus ImgRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcrossImgRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (126 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—77.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—126 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyunosuke Fujii文荣 李

Bugs and requests

Across

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ImgRef

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Trouble importing images from other apps

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add cropping functionality
  • Implement doodle/text feature for notes
  • Add GIF frame reading function

In-app purchases

None

Across

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ImgRef

Subscriptions2
  • pro_monthly$0.991 Month
  • ImgRef Annual Subscription$5.991 Year

Questions

Is Across free?
Across is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ImgRef free?
ImgRef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Across or ImgRef have ads?
Neither Across nor ImgRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Across or ImgRef?
Across ships an update every 3 months, and ImgRef every 4 days. Most recently, Across was updated on October 18, 2026 and ImgRef on October 17, 2026.

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