Comparison

Handcut vs Grain+

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

Head to head
About

Handcut

This video editor automatically transcribes and times captions to your speech, word-by-word, directly on your iPhone. It offers a full editing suite with multi-clip timelines, effects, and picture-in-picture, all processed on-device for speed and privacy.

Highlights
  • Word-by-word auto-captioning
  • On-device transcription and processing
  • Picture-in-picture recording
  • Multi-clip timeline editing
  • 18 film looks and 14 transitions
  • Manual keyframe animation
  • No watermark on any tier
Features
Read full description

Captions that land on the word — not near it. Handcut transcribes your video on your iPhone and times every caption to the word, so a pause reads as a pause and an emphasis lands where you put it. No upload. No render queue. No account. Nothing to sign up for. Built for people who talk to camera: coaches, course creators, realtors, podcasters, sellers cutting product video. If your video is you, saying something, this is the editor for it. WORD-BY-WORD CAPTIONS, DONE ON YOUR PHONE • Real per-word timing read from the audio, not guessed by dividing a sentence • Karaoke highlighting that follows the actual speech — the default look • On-device transcription — the app has no networking code to send audio with • Edit any word, restyle the whole set, move them anywhere on the frame PICTURE-IN-PICTURE, INCLUDED Screen recording plus a facecam bubble plus captions is the format this audience actually ships. It works on the free tier. Drag the bubble, pinch to size it, put it where it belongs. A REAL EDITOR UNDERNEATH • Multi-clip timeline with pinch-zoom, trim handles and drag-to-reorder • 18 film looks (11 free, 7 Pro) and 14 GPU transitions (4 free, 10 Pro) • 8 caption and text styles (3 free, 5 Pro) and Pro text animations (3) • Speed from 0.25× to 4×, with the trim preserved • Text, emoji and your own images — placed, scaled and rotated on the video • Mirror, crop and reframe for any aspect: vertical, square, widescreen • Frame rate follows your footage, up to 60fps • Music and voiceover tracks with a proper mixer • Manual keyframe animation — free on every plan WHAT COSTS NOTHING Unlimited projects. Unlimited exports. Unlimited length. 4K export, manual keyframes, picture-in-picture, auto-captions, most looks and transitions, text and stickers — and no watermark, on any tier, ever. We do not brand your video. Resolution is not the paywall here. WHAT PRO ADDS Intelligence and automation — not resolution: transcript editing (delete words to cut video), motion tracking, Smart Cutout, Auto-Reframe, emphasis motion, basic denoise, Auto Match Look, version history, adjustment layers, plus the premium looks / transitions / caption styles / text animations. Green screen and 3+ video tracks stay free forever. WHY IT FEELS FAST The app makes no network requests, so there is no service to be down and no queue to wait in behind other people's videos. Your footage, your captions and your export all happen on the silicon in your hand. That is also why it is private — but the point is that it is quick. Handcut asks for no account, collects no analytics, and shows no ads.

About

Grain+

Easily add realistic film grain and noise to your photos with adjustable intensity and multiple grain sizes. This app offers a straightforward, ad-free experience with a single purchase for lifetime access.

Highlights
  • Add film grain and noise
  • Adjustable intensity
  • 3 grain sizes (fine, medium, coarse)
  • Instant sharing
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • One-time purchase
Features
Read full description

We looked for a simple way to add grain to our photos, but with no ads and no subscriptions. It didn't exist, so we built it. Grain+ does one thing, beautifully. Pick any photo. Add film grain. Done. • 3 grain sizes: fine, medium, coarse • Adjustable intensity • Instant sharing • No ads. No subscription. • One purchase. Yours forever.

Screenshots

Handcut4 screens
Grain+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Grain+ at free against Handcut's freemium. Grain+ also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). Handcut's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Handcut holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Handcut versus Grain+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandcutGrain+
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (3 ratings)
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysEvery 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaler SolievBenedikt Hannemann

Customer experience

Handcut

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Grain+

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Handcut

No in-app purchases

None

Grain+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handcut free?
Handcut is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Grain+ free?
Grain+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Handcut or Grain+?
Handcut is rated higher. Handcut averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Grain+ averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Handcut or Grain+ have ads?
Neither Handcut nor Grain+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handcut or Grain+?
Handcut ships an update every 2 days, and Grain+ every 2 days. Most recently, Handcut was updated on September 13, 2026 and Grain+ on September 19, 2026.

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