# Santa Scan™ vs Elf Studio®

Santa Scan™ and Elf Studio® both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Santa Scan™'s written reviews are positive against 45% of Elf Studio®'s. Santa Scan™ also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Elf Studio®'s advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 months). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Elf Studio® is free to download; Santa Scan™ costs $0.99 up front. Elf Studio® sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Santa Scan™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Santa Scan™ against 4.7 for Elf Studio®. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elf Studio® has 3.8K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Santa Scan™'s written reviews are positive against 45% of Elf Studio®'s.

Santa Scan™ ships an update every 9 months, Elf Studio® every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Santa Scan™ | Elf Studio® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santa-scan/id775672430/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elf-studio/id6443879616/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 45.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 554 MB | 350 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SUMO SOUNDS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/625656720) | [North Pole Command Centre Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/976131058) |

## What reviewers say

### Santa Scan™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santa-scan/id775672430)

This app simulates a fingerprint scan to determine if a child has been good or bad. Parents can secretly control the outcome, making it a fun holiday tool for believers of all ages.

**Highlights:** Simulated fingerprint scanning, Good or bad result determination, Parental control over outcome, Suitable for all ages, Holiday entertainment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 (11)**

| 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 |
| 50+ Elf Dance Animations | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Credit - Pro Price | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Credits - Pro Price | $5.99 | one-time |
| 5 Elf Video Credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| 10 Credits - Pro Price | $9.99 | one-time |
| Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| 25 Credits - Pro Price | $22.99 | 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 Scan™ free?

Santa Scan™ costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Elf Studio® free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Santa Scan™ or Elf Studio®?

Elf Studio® is rated higher. Santa Scan™ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Elf Studio® averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Santa Scan™ or Elf Studio® have ads?

Neither Santa Scan™ nor Elf Studio® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Santa Scan™ or Elf Studio®?

Santa Scan™ ships an update every 9 months, and Elf Studio® every 3 days. Most recently, Santa Scan™ was updated on September 15, 2026 and Elf Studio® on October 16, 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.*