Comparison

MacroShader vs ICMPhotoForge

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

Head to head
About

MacroShader

Capture stunning close-up images with advanced manual camera controls and specialized processing. Features include focus peaking, RAW saving, and a unique focus shutter for precise macro shots.

Highlights
  • Focus shutter
  • Focus peaking
  • Manual camera controls
  • Save in RAW
  • Customized image processing
Features
Read full description

A macro photography app for iPhone. Features include: - Focus shutter: Tap, hold, focus and release to shoot a photo. Also just tap to shoot - Focus peaking - Manual camera controls - Save in RAW - Customised image processing for macro photography to preserve details Future releases will add more camera controls, editing tools and more

About

ICMPhotoForge

Transform still photos into expressive motion-blur artwork using intentional camera movement techniques. Apply various motion effects, fine-tune controls, and preview your creations in real-time before saving high-quality images.

Highlights
  • Intentional camera movement effects
  • Live motion-blur rendering preview
  • Adjustable motion, ghosting, and softness
  • Crop-aware effect rendering
  • Double echo with mix control
  • Export in JPEG or PNG
Features
Read full description

ICM Photo Forge transforms still photos into expressive motion-blur artwork inspired by intentional camera movement photography. Choose a photo, select a motion effect, and shape the result with simple controls for movement, ghost frames, softness, subject hold, exposure, color, and contrast. The live preview updates as you work, making it easy to explore painterly blur, abstract trails, radial motion, noir smears, light leaks, and soft watercolor-style motion. Crop directly on the image with draggable handles, then save only the composition you want. Motion effects are rendered from the crop itself, so effects such as Radial Swirl, Zoom Bloom, and Umbrella Spin are centered within the selected crop rather than the full source image. Features: - Import photos from your Photos Library - Live ICM-style rendering preview - Crop directly on the image with draggable corner handles - Crop-aware rendering so effects operate from the selected crop area - Optional second image for Double Echo with adjustable mix control - Second images are aspect-filled into the crop so mismatched orientations are not squeezed - Long-press the photo to compare the original and rendered version - Motion effects including Street Ghost, Umbrella Spin, Vertical Rain, Zoom Bloom, Quiet Noir, Brush Stroke, S-Curve Drift, Radial Swirl, Pan Follow, Double Echo, Crosshatch, Light Leak, Noir Smear, Watercolor, and Tilted Drag - Fine-tune movement, ghost frames, softness, subject clarity, exposure, color, and contrast - Undo recent tuning changes or reset the current effect - Export as JPEG or PNG - Preview reflects the selected export format - Export quality choices for Fast, High, or Original rendering - Smaller exports are upscaled to 4096 pixels on the longest side - Larger exports are preserved and are not downsized - Save finished artwork directly to Photos - Built-in About page explaining each effect and control - Designed for iPhone and iPad ICM Photo Forge is made for photographers, artists, and curious image-makers who want to experiment with motion, blur, rhythm, and abstraction from photos they already have.

Screenshots

MacroShader4 screens
ICMPhotoForge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MacroShader at Free against ICMPhotoForge's $0.99. ICMPhotoForge's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and chart position (#185 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, 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

MacroShader is free to download; ICMPhotoForge costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MacroShader against 5.0 for ICMPhotoForge. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MacroShader ships an update every 4 months, ICMPhotoForge every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
MacroShader versus ICMPhotoForge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMacroShaderICMPhotoForge
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#185 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstroShader LimitedGreg Anderson

Customer experience

MacroShader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ICMPhotoForge

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

MacroShader

No in-app purchases

None

ICMPhotoForge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MacroShader free?
MacroShader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ICMPhotoForge free?
ICMPhotoForge costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MacroShader or ICMPhotoForge?
MacroShader and ICMPhotoForge are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do MacroShader or ICMPhotoForge have ads?
Neither MacroShader nor ICMPhotoForge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MacroShader or ICMPhotoForge?
MacroShader ships an update every 4 months, and ICMPhotoForge every 6 weeks. Most recently, MacroShader was updated on October 1, 2026 and ICMPhotoForge on October 10, 2026.

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