Comparison

MacroShader vs Bloom

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

Bloom

Features
Read full description

Bloom brings focus stacking to your iPhone. Shoot close-ups of flowers, insects, jewelry or small products, and get one photo where the whole subject is sharp. WHY STACKING? At macro distance, only a thin slice of your subject is in focus. Bloom solves that the way scientific and fine-art macro photographers do: it captures several frames at different focus distances and merges the sharp parts of each into a single image. HOW IT WORKS 1. Point your iPhone at a subject at macro distance. 2. Check the focus with Focus Peaking. 3. Choose how many frames to stack. 4. Press the shutter. Bloom sweeps the focus from near to far and captures every frame, with a live CAPTURE counter. 5. Bloom merges them. BLOOMING… turns into BLOOMED: your finished photo, with the depth and number of frames used shown next to it. CHOOSE YOUR STACK: 3, 5, 7, 9 OR 11 FRAMES More frames means more depth of field. Each option comes with a short explanation, and 5 frames is marked as Recommended: a good balance of speed and depth for most subjects. Use 3 frames when you need to be quick, and 7, 9 or 11 for taller subjects or when the subject holds completely still. FOCUS PEAKING A live edge overlay shows exactly which parts of your subject are sharp before you shoot. Switch it on or off with one tap on the Focus Peaking button, and choose red, green or white highlights to suit your subject. An intensity slider lets you tune how strong the overlay appears. NEW IN THIS VERSION Compare a single frame with your stacked result using the SINGLE | STACKED slider. Choose JPEG or HEIC for the finished photo and optionally save the individual frames to a “Bloom frames” album. Macro assist on the camera screen tells you to hold steady, that the subject is moving, or that you are ready to stack; switch it on or off in Settings. BLOOM PRO 3 and 5 frames are free. 7, 9 and 11 frames unlock with Bloom Pro: a single, one-time purchase of €2.99. No subscription, yours to keep. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No cloud. Everything is processed on your iPhone, offline. Your photos are saved to your photo library and to a dedicated Bloom album. Bloom works best with a steady hand or a tripod, and with subjects that stay still while the frames are captured.

Screenshots

MacroShader4 screens
Bloom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MacroShader at none against Bloom's 1. Bloom's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Bloom sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MacroShader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MacroShader ships an update every 4 months, Bloom every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MacroShader versus Bloom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMacroShaderBloom
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstroShader LimitedMario Steenbergen

In-app purchases

None

MacroShader

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Bloom

One-time1
  • Bloom Pro$2.99

Questions

Is MacroShader free?
MacroShader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bloom free?
Bloom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MacroShader or Bloom have ads?
Neither MacroShader nor Bloom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MacroShader or Bloom?
MacroShader ships an update every 4 months, and Bloom every 5 days. Most recently, MacroShader was updated on October 1, 2026 and Bloom on October 25, 2026.

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