Comparison

Bloom vs DitherBoy

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

Head to head
About

Bloom

Features
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Bloom brings focus stacking to your iPhone. Shoot close-ups of flowers, insects, jewelry or small products, and get one photo where the whole subject is sharp. WHY STACKING? At macro distance, only a thin slice of your subject is in focus. Bloom solves that the way scientific and fine-art macro photographers do: it captures several frames at different focus distances and merges the sharp parts of each into a single image. HOW IT WORKS 1. Point your iPhone at a subject at macro distance. 2. Check the focus with Focus Peaking. 3. Choose how many frames to stack. 4. Press the shutter. Bloom sweeps the focus from near to far and captures every frame, with a live CAPTURE counter. 5. Bloom merges them. BLOOMING… turns into BLOOMED: your finished photo, with the depth and number of frames used shown next to it. CHOOSE YOUR STACK: 3, 5, 7, 9 OR 11 FRAMES More frames means more depth of field. Each option comes with a short explanation, and 5 frames is marked as Recommended: a good balance of speed and depth for most subjects. Use 3 frames when you need to be quick, and 7, 9 or 11 for taller subjects or when the subject holds completely still. FOCUS PEAKING A live edge overlay shows exactly which parts of your subject are sharp before you shoot. Switch it on or off with one tap on the Focus Peaking button, and choose red, green or white highlights to suit your subject. An intensity slider lets you tune how strong the overlay appears. NEW IN THIS VERSION Compare a single frame with your stacked result using the SINGLE | STACKED slider. Choose JPEG or HEIC for the finished photo and optionally save the individual frames to a β€œBloom frames” album. Macro assist on the camera screen tells you to hold steady, that the subject is moving, or that you are ready to stack; switch it on or off in Settings. BLOOM PRO 3 and 5 frames are free. 7, 9 and 11 frames unlock with Bloom Pro: a single, one-time purchase of €2.99. No subscription, yours to keep. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No cloud. Everything is processed on your iPhone, offline. Your photos are saved to your photo library and to a dedicated Bloom album. Bloom works best with a steady hand or a tripod, and with subjects that stay still while the frames are captured.

About

DitherBoy

Capture your world with a retro, pixelated aesthetic. This app simulates a vintage handheld camera, offering unique color palettes and a distinct lo-fi charm for your photos. It provides a simple, offline photography experience reminiscent of early digital cameras.

Highlights
  • Simulated handheld camera interface
  • D-pad and button controls
  • Multiple retro color palettes
  • Pixelated date stamp
  • Album organization by cartridges
  • Offline functionality
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Somewhere in a drawer lived a little camera that saw the world in four shades of green. The photos were terrible. Every single one became a treasure. DitherBoy brings that feeling back. It boots up with a beep β€” a whole tiny handheld inside your iPhone β€” and through its viewfinder, the world turns into pixel art right before your eyes. When the moment feels right, press A. β€’ A camera you drive with a D-pad and buttons β€’ Palettes from that green to full retro color β€’ Albums kept on cartridges β€” TRAVEL, LUNCH, CAT No.5 β€’ A tiny pixel date stamp in the corner β€’ No account, no internet. Just a camera. Low on pixels, heavy on soul. Go shoot something β€” your lunch, your socks, the sky. Everything looks better in dots.

Screenshots

Bloom4 screens
DitherBoy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bloom at Free against DitherBoy's $1.99. Bloom also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). DitherBoy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Bloom is free to download; DitherBoy costs $1.99 up front. Bloom sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DitherBoy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bloom ships an update every 5 days, DitherBoy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
Bloom versus DitherBoy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBloomDitherBoy
PriceFree β€” better$1.99
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 5 days β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
Monetizationβ€”Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size15 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMario SteenbergenDstudio

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bloom

One-time1
  • Bloom Pro$2.99
None

DitherBoy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bloom free?
Bloom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DitherBoy free?
DitherBoy costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bloom or DitherBoy have ads?
Neither Bloom nor DitherBoy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bloom or DitherBoy?
Bloom ships an update every 5 days, and DitherBoy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bloom was updated on October 25, 2026 and DitherBoy on November 5, 2026.

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