Comparison

Compressor vs ASCII

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

Head to head
About

Compressor

Easily reduce the file size of your images to save storage space and improve sharing speeds. This utility allows you to compress single or multiple photos directly from your library or files, working offline for privacy.

Highlights
  • Reduce image file size
  • Compress from library or files
  • Select multiple photos
  • Fast and simple operation
  • Offline and private compression
  • Integrates with Shortcuts app
Features
Read full description

Free up space and speed up sharing with Compressor, the easiest way to compress images directly from your photo library. No ads, no complexity: just fast and effective image compression. - Reduce Image File Size - Compress from your library or your files - Select one or many photos - Fast & Simple - Offline & Private - Available in Shortcut app Perfect for anyone looking to send images faster, upload quicker, or free up storage.

About

ASCII

Transform your photos into unique text-based art. Edit images, choose color or monochrome modes, and customize character sets for social media posts or digital art. Share your creations as images or text.

Highlights
  • Photo to ASCII art conversion
  • Advanced image editor
  • Color and monochrome modes
  • Customizable character sets
  • Social media optimized sizing
  • Share as image or text
Features
Read full description

Unleash your creativity with ASCII-FY, the ultimate ASCII art generator that transforms your photos into stunning text-based masterpieces! Whether you want to create a unique social media post, a fun iMessage, or just explore a new form of digital art, ASCII-FY gives you all the tools you need. Start with any photo from your library and watch as it’s instantly converted into intricate art made entirely from characters. But it doesn’t stop there! Dive into our powerful editor to make each creation truly your own. Key Features: Powerful Photo Editor: Don't just convert—create! Draw directly on your image with a variety of colors, add other photos as overlays, and rotate, scale, and position them to build the perfect composition before generating your art. Color & Monochrome Modes: Choose between classic black-and-white ASCII for a retro feel or generate full-color text art that brings your photos to life in a vibrant new way. Perfect Sizing for Social Media: Get the perfect look for any platform with preset sizes optimized for Instagram, TikTok, iMessage, and more. Plus, use the custom width option for ultimate control. Custom Character Sets: Select from standard, block, or minimal character sets, or define your very own set of characters for a completely unique artistic style. Share Your Way: Copy as Image: The best way to share! Copies a high-quality image of your art, preserving perfect alignment and color on any platform. Copy as Text: Copies the raw characters (including rich text color data) for pasting into compatible apps. Save to Photos: Save your finished artwork directly to your photo library. Undo/Redo & Clear: Made a mistake? No problem! Easily undo your last action or clear all edits to start fresh. Go Ad-Free: Love the app? You can remove all ads forever with a single, one-time purchase. Just tap the icon in the top corner to learn more. Download ASCII-FY today and start turning your pictures into pixel-perfect text art!

Screenshots

Compressor3 screens
ASCII4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Compressor at none against ASCII's 2. ASCII's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. ASCII sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Compressor asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Compressor against 5.0 for ASCII. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compressor ships an update every 4 days, ASCII daily. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Compressor versus ASCII: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompressorASCII
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Number of ratings4 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better18.1
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPierre Abi-aadTyler Berndt

Customer experience

Compressor

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ASCII

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Compressor

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ASCII

One-time2
  • Remove Ads$3.99
  • Remove Ads.$3.99

Questions

Is Compressor free?
Compressor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ASCII free?
ASCII is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Compressor or ASCII?
Compressor and ASCII are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Compressor or ASCII have ads?
Neither Compressor nor ASCII shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Compressor or ASCII?
Compressor ships an update every 4 days, and ASCII daily. Most recently, Compressor was updated on October 5, 2026 and ASCII on October 2, 2026.

Other comparisons