DepthWeaver vs Backdrop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DepthWeaver
Create captivating Magic Eye stereograms from your photos and 3D models. Utilize LiDAR, on-device AI, or object scanning to generate depth, then choose from various patterns and fine-tune every aspect for a hidden image that emerges from the noise. All processing is done locally for complete privacy.
- LiDAR live capture
- AI depth from photos
- Object scanning with Apple's Object Capture
- 3D model import
- Six procedural pattern generators
- Custom image tile import
- Extensive tuning options
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DepthWeaver turns real-world depth into hidden-image stereograms. Capture a scene with the LiDAR scanner, generate depth from any photo with on-device AI, scan a real object with Apple's Object Capture, or load a 3D model — then watch a hidden image rise out of the noise as you cross your eyes. CAPTURE DEPTH FIVE WAYS • LiDAR live capture on iPhone Pro and iPad Pro — point, freeze, done • On-device AI depth from any photo (Depth Anything V2) • Scan real objects with Apple's Object Capture (Pro devices) — guided orbits turn a real object into a .usdz you can orbit and frame • 3D model import — .usdz, .usd, .obj, .scn with an orbit camera so you choose the angle • Bundled height map and 3D model presets to play with right away PICK A PATTERN • Six procedural generators: random dot, stars, Perlin noise, Worley noise, Voronoi cells, reaction-diffusion • Import any image from your photo library as a custom tile • Built-in texture library TUNE EVERY KNOB • DPI, depth strength, separation, oversampling • Remap input and output depth ranges to push the subject forward or back • Denoise quantized 8-bit imports for clean, banding-free output • Invert depth in one tap • Live preview redraws as you slide PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything runs on device. No account, no upload, no tracking, no ads. Your photos and 3D scans never leave your device. UNDER THE HOOD Parallelized implementation of the Thimbleby–Inglis–Witten autostereogram algorithm with W. A. Steer's link-based hidden-surface refinement. Powered by ARKit, Object Capture, Core ML, SceneKit, Metal, and Core Image. Output is upscaled so the minimum dimension is at least 960 px — print-ready or share-ready. SHARE Export high-resolution PNGs to Photos, Messages, AirDrop, or any app with a share sheet. Available in English and French. For iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later) and Mac with Apple silicon (macOS 15 or later). LiDAR capture and Object Capture scans are iPhone and iPad only. Capture a scene. Pick a pattern. Stare into it.
Backdrop
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Backdrop shows you the photo / video before you take it. Pick a Look and the camera changes. Point it at a street and the street is already painted in oil, or broken into dots, or drawn by hand. You are not previewing a filter. That is the picture, and the shutter keeps it. THE LOOKS Brush. Painted stroke by stroke, coarse to fine, as you move. Mosaic. Rebuilt from its own colours. Cells split where there is detail. Drawn. The world drawn instead of photographed. Flat colour, inked lines. Matter. The picture as a field of grains that drift and settle. Fur. Combed strands that follow what the camera sees. Dither. Tone traded for dots on one fixed grid, nothing in between. Halftone. Print dots on a square or hex grid, in four shapes. Fluted. Seen through ribbed glass. The world arrives in strips. Water. Refraction and caustics, the scene read through moving water. Code. Digital rain over katakana, lit by whatever the camera sees. The list grows. New Looks arrive in updates. TAP OR HOLD Tap the shutter for a photo. Hold it to record, up to ten minutes. Video renders in the background at full quality, one frame at a time, using the exact settings you shot with. TUNE ANYTHING Every Look has its own knobs. Size, grain, relief, speed, depth, whatever that Look actually has. Drag the handle at the edge of the screen and the picture changes under your thumb. Tap a knob to put it back. BRING YOUR OWN Choose from Photos to run something you already have through a Look. For video, trim it first, pick the frame, then render. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR PHONE No account, nothing to sign in to. No servers. What you shoot sits in the Shelf on your device. Saving a copy to Photos is a switch, off until you turn it on. BACKDROP PREMIUM Dither, Water, Halftone and Drawn are free, and they record video too. Premium opens every Look, including the ones added later, and takes the Backdrop mark off everything you shoot. Monthly and annual. Payment goes to your Apple Accou renews unless you turn it off at least 24 hours befo Manage or cancel in Settings, Apple Account, Subscri Privacy: backdrop.wiki/privacy Terms: backdrop.wiki/terms Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ iPhone. iOS 18 and later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DepthWeaver at none against Backdrop's 2. DepthWeaver also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Backdrop's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads 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. Backdrop sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. DepthWeaver asks for nothing beyond the download.
DepthWeaver ships an update every 2 months, Backdrop fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 3, 2026.
| Parameter | DepthWeaver | Backdrop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GABRIEL JEAN YVES ANNE LANDAIS | Shekhar Upadhaya |
In-app purchases
DepthWeaver
No in-app purchases
Backdrop
- Backdrop Premium — Monthly$11.991 Month
- Backdrop Premium — Annual$79.001 Year








