Comparison

Max Photo Frames vs Sparkl

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

Head to head
About

Max Photo Frames

Features
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Frame it. Caption it. Keep it. Max Photo Frames turns your photos into keepsakes with clean borders, retro looks and captions in one tap. Free. No subscription. Nothing to unlock. NEW IN 3.3 • Print sizes with no white borders: 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, A4 and more, saved at the paper's real size • Drag or pinch to fit the photo • Your PNG logo as a watermark: add it once, use it on every photo • Your camera settings as a caption: shutter, aperture, ISO and focal length, read from the photo • Shot Data presets, with three film looks • Film and Retro Wide borders • Choose export quality and see the file size before you save • A rebuilt iPad landscape editor • Hub pages that open in place, with swipe back • Every section explains itself under its heading ALSO IN THE BOX • Retro and instant film looks, now in landscape too • One-tap Studio looks, and presets you can save, group and search • Seasonal presets, like Father Figures for Father's Day • Captions, dates, birthdays and countdowns • More than thirty fonts • Background blur, cutouts and 3D Pop • Face-aware 3D Props and playful decorations • White Balance with an Auto setting • Save as a photo, a Live Photo or a GIF • Share a preset with a friend as a file • iCloud Sync, and one backup file for your presets, captions and settings • Light and dark themes on iPhone and iPad IN-APP PURCHASES The only in-app purchases are optional tips to support the app. A tip unlocks nothing, because every feature is already yours. YOUR PHOTOS STAY YOURS No ads. No tracking. No account. Everything runs on your device, and your photos are never uploaded. We never touch your metadata. iCloud Sync stays off until you switch it on, and it carries your presets, captions and logos, never your photos.

About

Sparkl

Features
Read full description

Sparkl turns any photo into a sparkly, animated Y2K profile pic in seconds. Pick a photo, choose a preset, stack on glitter — and export a PFP that actually moves. No account, no uploads: everything happens right on your phone. Y2K PRESETS One-tap looks straight out of 2003: dreamy soft-glow, crunchy digicam, frosted chrome and more. An intensity slider tunes both the filter and the effects, from a subtle shimmer to full disco ball. ANIMATED OVERLAYS Looping sparkle shimmer, glitter rain, VHS flicker and glow pulse — rendered as perfectly seamless loops, so your PFP never stutters. CUTE STICKER PACKS Stars, butterflies, coquette bows, chrome hearts, flames and cyber gems. Drag, resize and rotate them right on the canvas with one finger. EXPORT ANYWHERE • GIF — for Discord and anywhere animated avatars live • MP4 — for apps that want video • Live Photo — set it as a wallpaper or share straight from Photos • PNG — a crisp still, circle- or square-cropped SPARKL PRO Unlock every preset, overlay and sticker pack with Sparkl Pro (weekly with a 3-day free trial, or yearly). Don't want to subscribe? Watch a short ad to unlock any single pack free for 24 hours. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your photos never leave your device. No sign-up, no tracking of your content — just sparkle. Make your profile pic the main character again SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Sparkl Pro is an auto-renewable subscription, available as: • Sparkl Pro Weekly — $3.99/week, including a 3-day free trial • Sparkl Pro Annual — $24.99/year Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically at the same price and duration unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings; any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://sparkl-privacy.vercel.app/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Max Photo Frames4 screens
Sparkl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Max Photo Frames at none against Sparkl's shown. Sparkl's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Max Photo Frames sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Sparkl sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Max Photo Frames ships an update every 3 weeks, Sparkl daily. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Max Photo Frames versus Sparkl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMax Photo FramesSparkl
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOscar LimCelesta Games

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Max Photo Frames

One-time4
  • A small tip$0.99
  • A coffee$3.99
  • A bubble tea$7.99
Show 1 more
  • A round of drinks$29.99
2 purchases

Sparkl

Subscriptions2
  • Sparkl Pro Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Sparkl Pro Annual$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Max Photo Frames free?
Max Photo Frames is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sparkl free?
Sparkl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Max Photo Frames or Sparkl have ads?
Sparkl shows ads; Max Photo Frames does not.
Which is updated more often, Max Photo Frames or Sparkl?
Max Photo Frames ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sparkl daily. Most recently, Max Photo Frames was updated on October 28, 2026 and Sparkl on October 25, 2026.

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