Comparison

CMSHT vs Mono Lab

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

Head to head
About

CMSHT

Transform your photos into stunning design compositions. This tool empowers users to create unique visual art from their existing images.

Highlights
  • Create design compositions from photos
  • User-friendly interface
  • Photo editing tools
  • Unique visual art creation
Features
Read full description

CMSHT is your pocket playground for photo experiments Mix effects crafted by a designer and fine-tune each one to make something only you would make. No rules. No perfect edits. Just you, your photos, and a little creative chaos.

About

Mono Lab

Explore unexpected visual transformations with a wide array of experimental filters for both black and white and color images. Manipulate images through touch and motion, mapping them across 3D surfaces for unique artistic results.

Highlights
  • 158 B&W distortion filters
  • 40 color experimentation filters
  • Touch and motion control transformations
  • 3D surface mapping
  • Raster and vector output
  • Save custom filters
Features
Read full description

Mono Lab is designed for exploring the unexpected. Experiment with images in black and white. (And now Color!) From subtle relief to structural collapse, topology drift, mesh warps, fracture effects, misregistration, and controlled instability, every tool is built for focused experimentation. Responsive. Direct. Tactile. // Interactive Filters (X) Distortion that responds to you. Shift the image through movement and contact. Tilt to bend structure. Rotate to redirect tension. Touch to anchor, drag to stretch, hold to resist. Each gesture leaves a trace. Each motion reshapes the result. // 3D Surface Mode A dimensional approach to distortion. Map images across 12 surfaces and interpret them through 13 lenses. Adjust depth. Refine spatial tension. Each surface behaves differently. Each lens reshapes the outcome. Monochromatic. Structure, tone, dimension, possibility. What You Can Do • 158 filters for black and white distortion • 40 filters for color experimentation (color also works with B&W filters as well) • Touch and motion control transformations • 12 surfaces. 13 lenses • Press, drag, and hold to reshape the image like a surface • Refine light, contrast, and structure • Warp topology and form • Collapse, fracture, and distort • Create raster and vector outputs • Build layered misregistrations • Adjust pressure, grain, and tone • Stack transformations • Save your favorite filters to the Index • Save directly to Files Mono Lab is for designers, artists, photographers, illustrators, and visual experimenters working in black and white.

Screenshots

CMSHT4 screens
Mono Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CMSHT at Free against Mono Lab's $4.99. CMSHT also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). Mono Lab's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support 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

CMSHT is free to download; Mono Lab costs $4.99 up front. Mono Lab sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. CMSHT 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 CMSHT against 5.0 for Mono Lab. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mono Lab has 23 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of CMSHT's written reviews are positive against 95% of Mono Lab's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CMSHT ships an update every 6 months, Mono Lab weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
CMSHT versus Mono Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCMSHTMono Lab
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better94.7% of reviews
Number of ratings423 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#4 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.516.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDenis KrupinInner Circle

Customer experience

CMSHT

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mono Lab

All ratings23 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%

In-app purchases

None

CMSHT

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Mono Lab

One-time4
  • Pheno Set$1.99
  • Print Set$1.99
  • ASCII Set$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Dither Set$1.99

Questions

Is CMSHT free?
CMSHT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mono Lab free?
Mono Lab costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CMSHT or Mono Lab?
CMSHT and Mono Lab are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 23 ratings respectively.
Do CMSHT or Mono Lab have ads?
Neither CMSHT nor Mono Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CMSHT or Mono Lab?
CMSHT ships an update every 6 months, and Mono Lab weekly. Most recently, CMSHT was updated on November 5, 2026 and Mono Lab on November 9, 2026.

Other comparisons