Comparison

Genie Crystals vs Thread Circle by BPZone

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

Head to head
About

Genie Crystals

Features
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Genie Crystals turns your favorite photos into stunning crystal and half-pearl portrait templates — the kind you see in luxury mosaic artwork, framed portraits, and handcrafted gifts. Simply pick a photo, let the built-in AI analyse it, and watch your image transform into a precise dot-placement template ready to print and bring to life with real crystals. How it works Upload any photo from your gallery. The image editor lets you fine-tune brightness, contrast, sharpness, and saturation before generation. Remove the background with a single tap and set a custom background colour using the built-in colour wheel — great for isolating a face against a clean black backdrop for maximum crystal impact. Once your image is ready, Genie Crystals' AI engine analyses the tonal distribution across every pixel and suggests three key settings automatically: Crystal Density — how many crystals fill the frame overall Contour Separation — how dramatically the crystal density shifts between tonal zones, creating visible depth Contrast Layers — how many distinct brightness bands the AI detected in your photo Tap Apply and generate. The AI suggestions are calibrated to your specific image, not a generic preset — bright portraits get different treatment from dark ones, faces are handled differently from flat graphics. Zoom, pan, and crop Pinch to zoom and drag to reposition your photo inside the canvas before generating. Only the visible portion is used — so you can frame exactly the crop you want without editing the original. Your PDF template After generating, purchase the Unlock Export to download a four-page PDF: Page 1 — your original source image for reference Page 2 — the monochrome working template: black background, white dots at exact physical size Page 3 — a colour-coded version with each crystal size shown in a different colour Page 4 — crystal counts per size, so you know exactly how many to order Print at Actual Size (100%) — not Fit to Page — and the template matches your frame dimensions to the millimetre. Default frame size is A3 (29.7 Ɨ 42 cm), the ideal starting size for a crystal portrait. Multiple crystal sizes Choose from ten standard crystal and half-pearl sizes (1.4mm to 5.0mm). The AI-powered placement engine prevents overlap between crystals of different sizes by checking actual physical radii — so a 3.0mm crystal next to a 1.4mm crystal will never touch. Saved templates Every purchased template is saved to iCloud and accessible from My Templates at any time. Genie Crystals is made by the same team behind Genie Strings — the string art portrait generator trusted by crafters around the world.

About

Thread Circle by BPZone

Features
Read full description

Create detailed circular string art patterns from your own photos with Thread Circle by BPZone. Choose a portrait, pet, object, or other subject. Position and zoom the photo inside the circular frame, select your generation settings, and watch the design take shape line by line. When it is ready, use Build Mode to follow every numbered pin connection. FEATURES • Convert photos into circular string art • Live previews while the pattern is generated • Quick, recommended, and detailed presets • Adjustable pin count, thread moves, and line weight • Numbered pins starting from 1 • Clear pin sequence • Step-by-step Build Mode • High-quality PNG artwork export • Printable PDF containing the artwork, pin template, and complete sequence • 40 Ɨ 40 cm printable board template • Local photo processing • No account required • Responsive interface for iPhone and iPad PRIVACY AND ADS Your selected photo is processed locally on your device and is never uploaded. Thread Circle includes banner advertising. PDF export is unlocked by choosing to watch a rewarded ad. Advertising consent and privacy choices are provided where required.

Screenshots

Genie Crystals4 screens
Thread Circle by BPZone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Thread Circle by BPZone at none against Genie Crystals's 1. Thread Circle by BPZone also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). Genie Crystals's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Genie Crystals sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Thread Circle by BPZone asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Genie Crystals ships an update monthly, Thread Circle by BPZone every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Genie Crystals versus Thread Circle by BPZone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGenie CrystalsThread Circle by BPZone
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArunesh DwivediBehrooz Amerishahrabi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Genie Crystals

One-time1
  • Genie Crystals$5.99
None

Thread Circle by BPZone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Genie Crystals free?
Genie Crystals is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Thread Circle by BPZone free?
Thread Circle by BPZone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Genie Crystals or Thread Circle by BPZone have ads?
Thread Circle by BPZone shows ads; Genie Crystals does not.
Which is updated more often, Genie Crystals or Thread Circle by BPZone?
Genie Crystals ships an update monthly, and Thread Circle by BPZone every 4 days. Most recently, Genie Crystals was updated on October 12, 2026 and Thread Circle by BPZone on October 6, 2026.

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