# MacroShader vs ICMPhotoForge

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | MacroShader | ICMPhotoForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macroshader/id6751045993/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icmphotoforge/id6769817262/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#185** |
| Size | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AstroShader Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655754202) | [Greg Anderson](https://appshunter.io/developer/345127565) |

## What reviewers say

### MacroShader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macroshader/id6751045993)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ICMPhotoForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icmphotoforge/id6769817262)

**Currently charting:** #185 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*