StarCrop vs Sideways
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
StarCrop
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Stop choosing between vertical and horizontal. StarCrop records the full picture, so you can crop to vertical or horizontal later ā whenever you need it. Sound familiar? You shoot vertical, and it looks tiny on the TV with black bars on both sides. You shoot horizontal, and it's awkward to watch on your phone. StarCrop solves the "which way do I hold it" problem for good. HOW IT WORKS StarCrop captures a wide 4:3 master using more of your camera's sensor (also known as Open Gate recording). From that one master, export: - 16:9 landscape for TV and YouTube - 9:16 portrait for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts No need to decide at recording time. KEY FEATURES - Full screen everywhere: export both landscape and portrait from one clip - No editing app needed: crop and export inside StarCrop - Frame guides: keep people and subjects safely inside every crop - Re-export anytime: keep the master, regenerate any size whenever you need - Save storage: delete exports freely ā the master can always recreate them - Ready for anything: YouTube, TikTok, Reels, TV ā and formats you haven't thought of yet Perfect for family moments, kids' events, travel, and everyday vlogging ā anywhere you don't get a second take. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Sideways
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You no longer need to rotate your iPhone to capture a landscape shot. Sideways is a camera for capturing photos and video in 16:9, 4:3, or 1:1 while holding your iPhone comfortably in portrait. Frame the moment with a stable, natural one-handed grip. Key features ⢠Sideways mode Keep your portrait grip while capturing the selected output ratio. A bright guide shows the area that will be saved. ⢠Photos and video Capture photos at the maximum size supported by your device. Hold the shutter to record 1080p video, including audio when microphone access is allowed. ⢠16:9, 4:3, and 1:1 ratios Choose a ratio for the scene. The same framing is applied to the guide, photos, and video. ⢠Full mode Save the full camera frame without the Sideways crop. ⢠Lens controls and pinch zoom On supported devices, compact controls let you select physical lenses. Pinch the viewfinder for continuous zoom. ⢠Framing tools Compose with a selected-ratio guide and an optional 3Ć3 grid. ⢠Session gallery Review photos and videos captured during the current app session, play videos, and share individual items. Captures are also saved to your Photo Library. ⢠Restored settings Continue with your previous Sideways/Full mode, capture ratio, grid, and shutter sound settings after relaunching the app. Privacy first Photo and video processing happens on your device. Sideways does not send your captures to an external server.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sideways at none against StarCrop's 2. StarCrop's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. StarCrop sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Sideways asks for nothing beyond the download.
StarCrop ships an update fortnightly, Sideways every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StarCrop | Sideways |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly ā better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No ā better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.6 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masato Asai | Dongseop Kim |
In-app purchases
StarCrop
- StarCrop ćć¬ćć¢ć ļ¼ęé”ļ¼$1.991 Month
- StarCrop ćć¬ćć¢ć ļ¼č²·ćåćļ¼$9.99
Sideways
No in-app purchases









