Comparison

Motion Flow vs ShiWen

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

Head to head
About

Motion Flow

Features
Read full description

Motion Flow paints with the way you hold your phone. Tilt it, and three brushes move across the canvas: one red, one green, one blue. There is nothing to press. TWO CANVASES Pigment is paint on white paper. Colours darken where they layer, and red over green gives brown, the way it does on a palette. Light is light in a dark room. Colours brighten where they cross, red over green gives yellow, and all three give white. You pick one per canvas, because each needs its own ground. THE PAINT COMES FROM THE GESTURE Move slowly and the brush leaves everything it carries. Move quickly and it leaves a trace, because the paint has not had the time to transfer. Nothing on screen controls this. Your hand does. THE BRUSHES HAVE WEIGHT Four bodies to choose from. Rigid is exactly where you point. Loaded rounds off the corners of a gesture. Heavy arrives late into a turn. The whip goes past and comes back. Blue is the heaviest of the three brushes and red the lightest, so the group opens out in a turn and closes again on the straight. You can move the three brushes apart or join them together, and they mix wherever their paint overlaps. ALSO INSIDE Three paint modes: watercolour, acrylic, oil. Save your work to Photos whenever you like. Statistics, if you enjoy knowing how far your wrist has travelled. Five languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese. Made for iPhone and iPad. No ads. No subscriptions. No tracking. No account. Nothing leaves the device. There is an optional tip. It unlocks nothing: the app is all here. Made for the pleasure of trying something out.

About

ShiWen

Transform any image into unique geometric patterns and seamless designs. This tool offers over 20 pattern styles, real-time previews, and AI-enhanced upscaling for high-resolution exports. Create kaleidoscope art, repeat designs, and transparent assets for various creative projects.

Highlights
  • Create patterns from photos and textures
  • Over 20 geometric and kaleidoscope styles
  • Real-time sampling and preview
  • 70+ color palettes
  • AI HD image enhancement
  • High-resolution PNG export
  • One-tap background cutout
Read full description

Turn any photo into a seamless pattern, mandala, or kaleidoscope design. ShiWen is a pattern maker for designers, illustrators, crafters, and visual creators on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Import a photo, drawing, lettering, or everyday texture, then move the sampling frame to create kaleidoscope art, symmetrical patterns, mandalas, repeats, and seamless tiles. 【Turn Images into Patterns】 Import from Photos or Files, or shoot with the camera. Drag the sampling frame to discover new compositions. Photos, illustrations, traditional motifs, natural textures, fabrics, and handmade artwork can all become patterns. 【20+ Pattern Styles】 Explore more than 20 kaleidoscope and geometric styles based on symmetry, rotation, reflection, interlocking, and repetition. One image can become entirely different mandalas, symmetrical patterns, repeat designs, and seamless textures. 【Real-Time Sampling】 Drag the sampling frame and adjust its width, height, rotation, and output size. Every change appears directly in the preview. 【70+ Color Palettes】 Choose from more than 70 palettes and quickly explore new color combinations. 【Visual Styles】 Switch between the original image, watercolor, oil painting, rubbing, and sand effects to give the same pattern a different texture and mood. 【Layered Mandalas】 Adjust the number of petals and combine up to six concentric layers to create richer mandala compositions from the same source image. 【14 Product Mockups】 Preview the real result on 14 real objects before you download. 【One-Tap Cutout】 Remove the background from a source image or pattern to create a transparent PNG. Refine the result with the brush, eraser, and invert tools while preserving the original colors and details. 【AI HD】 Enhance small or blurry source images on-device, or apply AI HD to the finished pattern, preserving more detail for pattern creation and high-resolution export. 【Print-Ready Export】 Export PNG, JPG, PDF, layered PSD, or TIFF. Supports millimeters, centimeters, inches, and pixels, A-series and US paper sizes, and social image presets. 【Signature Watermark】 Add your own signature watermark to PNG and JPG exports. 【Local Gallery】 Source images, saved patterns, and cutout assets are organized separately. Image processing happens on your device. No account is required, and your images never leave the device. 【Perfect For】 • Pattern design and seamless repeats • Procreate brush and texture assets • Fashion, textile, fabric, and print design • Wallpapers, packaging, and pattern backgrounds • Illustration textures and digital collages • Stickers and transparent elements • Journaling and craft projects 【ShiWen Pro】 ShiWen Pro is available as a one-time purchase, or as a monthly or annual subscription. Pro unlocks all Pro pattern styles, 70+ color palettes, visual effects, AI HD, one-tap cutout, all 14 mockups, print presets and custom sizing, PDF / PSD / TIFF export, and high-resolution tile and full-pattern exports. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. Manage or cancel your subscription in Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions. Previous purchases can be restored in ShiWen. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://alinefan.github.io/shiwen-privacy/

Screenshots

Motion Flow4 screens
ShiWen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShiWen at none against Motion Flow's 1. ShiWen also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Motion Flow sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ShiWen asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Motion Flow ships an update every 3 months, ShiWen every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Motion Flow versus ShiWen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMotion FlowShiWen
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMercurio Solutions广俊 张

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Motion Flow

One-time1
  • Support Motion Flow$0.99
None

ShiWen

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Motion Flow free?
Motion Flow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShiWen free?
ShiWen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Motion Flow or ShiWen have ads?
Neither Motion Flow nor ShiWen shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Motion Flow or ShiWen?
Motion Flow ships an update every 3 months, and ShiWen every 9 days. Most recently, Motion Flow was updated on November 9, 2026 and ShiWen on November 10, 2026.

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