# Santa Spy Cam vs Elf Studio®

The clearest difference is update cadence: Elf Studio® at every 6 days against Santa Spy Cam's every 8 months. Elf Studio® also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 22%). Santa Spy Cam's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Santa Spy Cam sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Elf Studio® sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Santa Spy Cam ships an update every 8 months, Elf Studio® every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Santa Spy Cam | Elf Studio® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.4% of reviews | **45.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 33 MB | 343 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Craig Research LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1776613266) | [North Pole Command Centre Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/976131058) |

## What reviewers say

### Santa Spy Cam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santa-spy-cam/id708883529)

Create magical videos of Santa, elves, and reindeer in your home. This app offers a vast library of scenes and customization options to generate "sightings" that will enchant children. Easily share your holiday creations with loved ones.

**Highlights:** Live-action Santa, elf, and reindeer videos, 52 customizable scenes, 15 Christmas morning scenes, Integrate physical objects into videos, Easy social media sharing, High-quality video production

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grand Entrance | Free | one-time |
| Sack of Goodies | Free | one-time |
| Grand Exit | Free | one-time |
| Grand Entrance | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Collection | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Watermark | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Collection 2015 | $3.99 | one-time |
| New Scenes 2015 | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Fun and engaging app
- 🎄 Helps keep the Christmas spirit alive
- 👍 Easy to use
- 😊 Kids love it

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔄 Doesn't restore previous purchases
- 🤔 Loses magic with only 1 free scene

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to download/use scenes
- Doesn't work on iPhone 6/6s
- Stuck on startup screen
- Camera/photo issues

**Requested features**

- Restore previous purchases
- More free scenes
- Dark mode option
- Compatibility with newer devices


### Elf Studio®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616)

Create magical videos and photos of Santa and his elves visiting your home using augmented reality. Place characters in any environment, customize their appearance and animations, and record your own festive scenes.

**Highlights:** Add Santa Claus and elves, Unlimited elves and recording time, Create custom elves with Elf Workshop, Customize elf outfits and accessories, Elves with walking and dancing animations, Pre-plan or perform animations, Customize lighting, shadows, and camera filters

**Features:** Family Sharing, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Elf Studio | $1.99 | per month |
| Elf Studio™ - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlock Elf Studio | $3.99 | per year |
| Elf Studio™ - Annual | $6.99 | per year |
| Elf Studio Pro - Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| 50+ Elf Dance Animations | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Elf Video Credit | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Elf Video Credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| 50 Credits - Pro Price | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎅 Elf-themed game
- 👍 Fun for kids
- 💡 Ability to create elf scenes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🚫 Limited free functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to scan surfaces for elf placement
- Crashes and freezes when trying to use app

**Requested features**

- More free customization options
- Ability to save and share created scenes
- Improved surface detection for elf placement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Santa Spy Cam free?

Santa Spy Cam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Elf Studio® free?

Elf Studio® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Santa Spy Cam or Elf Studio® have ads?

Neither Santa Spy Cam nor Elf Studio® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Santa Spy Cam or Elf Studio®?

Santa Spy Cam ships an update every 8 months, and Elf Studio® every 6 days. Most recently, Santa Spy Cam was updated on November 1, 2026 and Elf Studio® on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*