Toonbead vs Bead Camera
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Toonbead
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Turn a favorite photo into fuse bead art you can actually build. Toonbead converts your photo into a clear bead pattern directly on your device. Use the complete Basic flow privately and offline, or sign in and optionally simplify the photo into clean AI artwork first. Choose a practical project size and color count, review the boards and materials you will need, then follow the pattern bead by bead. CREATE FROM A PHOTO Start with a portrait, pet, gift idea, or another favorite image. Basic pattern creation runs locally with no account or upload required. OPTIONAL AI ARTWORK Sign in for 3 free AI generations and turn a busy photo into simpler, bead-friendly artwork before conversion. Choose Pet Icon, Cute Portrait, Clean Cartoon, Retro Pixel, Pop Poster, or describe a custom direction. A compressed copy is uploaded only after you tap the AI action; pattern building and material counts still run on your device. ADD GENERATIONS WHEN YOU NEED THEM Buy a one-time Apple In-App Purchase for 10, 30, or 100 AI generations. There is no subscription or automatic renewal. The signed-in account balance works on Toonbead for iPhone and on the web. PLAN BEFORE YOU BUILD See the grid size, board layout, total bead count, color breakdown, and material quantities before placing the first bead. BROWSE 649 OFFLINE PATTERNS Search and filter 649 exact templates, including 500 single-board patterns and 149 detailed nine-board designs. Open a full numbered map, review build tips, save the exact grid as a local project, and start Crafting Mode without regenerating the pattern. EXPLORE THE STUDIO GALLERY Switch to 20 original Toonbead Studio artworks and their finished 58 × 58 bead grids. Compare the artwork and pattern, filter by style, share a gallery link, or use any artwork as the starting point for a new local draft—even offline. CRAFT THE FULL PATTERN Open the complete pattern at once. Pinch to zoom, drag to pan, focus by color, and mark beads as you place them. Progress remains saved on your device for offline use. KEEP PROJECTS ON YOUR DEVICE Save drafts and in-progress crafts locally. Your source photo and project do not need to leave your device. EXPORT WHEN YOU ARE READY Share a printable multi-page PDF, pattern PNG, and counted materials CSV. PDFs include an overview, complete numbered map, board-by-board pages, and a material key. Toonbead is made for personal fuse bead crafts, pet portraits, keepsakes, and handmade gifts. It is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any bead manufacturer.
Bead Camera
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Turn your photos into pixel art and easy-to-follow fuse bead patterns with Bead Camera. Take a photo or import one from your library, choose a pattern size and color palette, then create a personalized pixel design in seconds. Key Features: • Use the front or rear camera, or import existing photos • Create patterns in 52 × 52, 78 × 78, or 104 × 104 sizes • Choose different palettes and adjust colors and dithering • Switch between round-bead and square-pixel views • Display coordinates, color codes, and bead counts • Extract objects and turn them into pixel decorations • Create Polaroid, stamp, and custom pixel frames • Draw directly on frames with pixel brushes • Organize patterns, creations, and frames in one library • Export creations as transparent PNG images Optional Pro features unlock watermark-free large-size exports and expanded library storage.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Bead Camera at daily against Toonbead's every 5 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Toonbead sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Bead Camera sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Toonbead ships an update every 5 days, Bead Camera daily. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Toonbead | Bead Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 恒 丛 | 雅妮 张 |
In-app purchases
Toonbead
- 10 AI Generations$1.99
- 30 AI Generations$4.99
- 100 AI Generations$12.99
Bead Camera
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Pro Lifetime$2.99








