CH3 Camcorder vs VHS FX Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CH3 Camcorder
This app transforms your phone into a 1990s VHS camcorder, capturing footage in real-time with authentic vintage effects. It offers a suite of adjustable parameters to simulate the entire VHS signal chain, from visual distortions to audio processing. Recordings are stored in an in-app library with VCR-style playback and can be saved or shared.
- Real-time VHS recording
- Authentic 90s camcorder look
- 25 adjustable VHS signal parameters
- VHS timestamp burn-in
- VCR-style playback library
- No account or tracking required
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Feeling nostalgic? CH3 turns your phone into a 1990s camcorder. Everything runs in real-time. What you see in the viewfinder is what you record. No post-processing, no filters applied after the fact. THE CAMERA 4:3 aspect ratio. 24fps. Low resolution. Portrait orientation with a landscape crop, just like holding a real camcorder. The on-screen display is rendered inside the viewfinder, just like the real thing. THE EFFECTS 25 adjustable parameters that simulate every stage of the VHS signal chain: - Chromatic aberration, chroma smear, and chroma delay - Tracking distortion and head-switch noise - Scanlines, interlace combing, and scanline drift - Film grain, tape warp, and glitch - Bloom, vignette, soft focus, and luma ringing - Brightness, contrast, saturation, warmth, and split-tone color grading - VHS timestamp burn-in and night vision - VHS audio processing: low-pass filter, wow/flutter, tape hiss, and saturation THE PRESETS Built-in presets to get you started. Pro users can create and share their own. Presets sync across devices via iCloud. THE TAPES All recordings are saved to an in-app tape library with VCR-style playback controls: play, pause, fast-forward, and rewind. Save tapes directly to your photo library or share them. PRIVACY Remember when apps didn't know your name, your location, and what you had for breakfast? Good times. No account. No sign-up. No analytics. No tracking. No ads. No data collection. No third-party SDKs. No internet required. The only permissions CH3 asks for are camera and microphone, because it's a camera. Your recordings never leave your device unless you share them yourself. That's it. UPGRADE TO PRO No subscriptions. No nonsense. One payment and it's yours forever. - Unlimited recording duration - No watermark - Full preset editor - Combine multiple tapes into one - Custom preset sharing - iCloud preset sync
VHS FX Studio
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Turn ordinary videos into authentic VHS, CRT, camcorder, and analog-style footage directly on your iPhone. VHS Studio gives you detailed control over the look and feel of your videos with a live preview and an extensive collection of adjustable effects. Create anything from a subtle retro television look to a heavily damaged tape recording. FEATURES • Preview VHS and CRT effects in real time • Apply ready-made presets or build your own custom look • Adjust noise, grain, dust, speckles, scanlines, tracking, warping, jitter, bloom, glow, flicker, color bleed, tape damage, glitches, and more • Preserve the original video shape or choose 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 4:5, or cinematic aspect ratios • Use Fit or Fill framing controls • Loop your video while editing • Export and save directly to Photos • Export in 720p, 1080p, or 4K • Choose 24, 30, or 60 frames per second • Process videos locally on your device • No account required Whether you are creating music videos, social clips, short films, nostalgic home-video effects, or experimental visuals, VHS Studio gives you the tools to create a distinctive analog style.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VHS FX Studio at none against CH3 Camcorder's 1. 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
Both are free to download. CH3 Camcorder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. VHS FX Studio asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | CH3 Camcorder | VHS FX Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alan Kahn | Origin 51 LLC |
In-app purchases
CH3 Camcorder
- CH3 Camcorder Pro$1.99
VHS FX Studio
No in-app purchases









