Comparison

Shifter vs Phallaina

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

Head to head
About

Shifter

Experience a sci-fi murder mystery graphic novel with stunning parallax animation and interactive elements. Choose your path, listen to a full cast of voice actors, and explore a rich universe with an interactive appendix.

Highlights
  • Interactive graphic novel
  • Parallax animation
  • Full voice cast
  • Sci-fi murder mystery
  • Interactive appendix
  • Choose your own path
Features
Read full description

SHIFTER the Interactive Graphic Novel has arrived! Innovative use of parallax animation and interactivity is masterfully woven together to create a multimedia experience of unparalleled scope, featuring the amazing voice talents of **WIL WHEATON**! *** NOTE: Compatible with iPad 2 and later, iPhone 4s and later, and iPod touch (5th generation) *** What if you could soar with the birds – not in a man-made contraption or by using virtual reality, but as an actual bird? What if you could literally be a fly on the wall in a top-secret meeting? What if you could become any animal in the world or, better yet, anybody in the world? What if you could become any creature that has ever existed (and some you never believed could exist)? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Shifter, the latest full-color graphic novel from Anomaly Productions. Shifter is a sci-fi murder mystery with a unique perspective, a pulse-pounding thriller that explores the depths of humanity’s evil and the tremendous powers of the animal kingdom. Following in the revolutionary footsteps of the ANOMALY Interactive Graphic Novel, SHIFTER lets YOU choose how YOU want to enjoy this sublime Hitchcockian murder-mystery with a decadent sci-fi twist. Read on your own or listen to a cast of eight actors, drawn from FILM, TELEVISION and VIDEO GAMES lend their brilliant voice talents to breathe life into each spoken role. This is not “books-on-CD” narration… This is the best of AUDIO CINEMA, complete with music, sound effects and so much more! Enjoy the first chapter for free, then unlock the rest of the content to experience: - 9 Epic Chapters - 200 Fully Painted Pages - 65 Interactive Touch Points - 875 Panels of Art - 2½ Hours of Audio Discover more at Facebook.com/ExperienceAnomaly *** FEATURING ACTORS YOU KNOW AND LOVE!!! *** Wil Wheaton, Dave Fennoy, Olivia d’Abo, Allyson Ryan, Anthony Cistaro, Keith Szarabajka, David Lodge and Ryan Cooper. Don’t just take our word for it -- IMDB them! *** TONS OF BACKSTORY AND INFORMATION PROVIDED BY “JEEVES” *** A fully interactive appendix is included. There are over sixty entries detailing the characters, places and objects in the Shifter universe. Let Jeeves the alien computer show you the story behind the story. *** HAVE THE BOOK “ACTED OUT” FOR YOU WITH FULL VOICEOVERS!!! *** A graphic novel is nice. A graphic novel that reads to you with cinematic-level voice acting is what previous generations could only dream about… That dream is now REALITY! Evocative musical scores set the mood for dynamic voice acting. The entire experience is further heightened by professional-grade sound effects that bring together a “digital book” done in a way you’ve NEVER experienced before! (With the exception of our other interactive graphic novel, ANOMALY!) Explore each gorgeous, painted panel at your leisure. Go ahead. We can wait… Extensive PARALLAX lends motion in ways no static page ever could. “Get pulled into the action” in a very literal way. Simply tap when you’re ready to move on. And did we mention we’ve got internet, voice and acting phenom, WIL WHEATON, in SHIFTER’S leading role? Oh, yeah. We went there…and he brought it! *** LET THE BOOK PLAY LIKE A MOVIE!!! *** Sit back and relax… Auto-play will “act out” SHIFTER for you without the need to so much as lift a finger. Want letters out of the way? Turn them off! This is as close as any graphic novel can possibly get to the theater experience without being fully animated!

About

Phallaina

Experience a unique digital comic book that blends graphic novel storytelling with animated film elements. This scrolling narrative offers an immersive 90-minute experience with parallax effects and captivating sound design. Explore a world where science and mythology intertwine.

Highlights
  • Scrolling graphic novel format
  • Parallax effects for depth
  • Entrancing sound design
  • 90-minute narrative experience
  • Available in English and French
  • Combines cognitive science and mythology
Features
Read full description

A "Scrolling Graphic Novel" for tactile screens. Peabody Award 2017. Halfway between a graphic novel and an animated film, Phallaina is the first "scrolling graphic novel" for tablets and smartphones. Available in English and French, the app delivers 90 minutes of scrollable reading experience. Conceived by Marietta Ren and the Small Bang studio, and accompanied by an entrancing sound design by Côme Jalibert, this horizontal-scrolling, panel-less digital comic book uses parallax effects in order to bring an immersive depth to the narrative. Download the app for free and discover the first two chapters. The story In a world similar to ours, where cities have adapted to the rising waters, Audrey follows a series of clinical trials in order to understand the origins of her hallucinatory fits, which are populated by huge white whales. Thus begins the intimate adventure of her personal transformation, combining cognitive sciences and mythology... and changing the course of her destiny in the process. International recognition Released in January 2016, selected as part of the official competition of the Angoulême International Comic Book festival, as well as the Naples Comicon, Phallaina has also won the Best digital comic award at the 2016 New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles, and has known a great amount of success in numerous festivals such as the Peabody awards and the Webby awards. But our biggest reward are your stars, shares and comments which fill us with joy and gratitude! And for those of you who have not yet taken the plunge, hesitate no longer :) ! Download Phallaina now, and delve right into Audrey's world. © France Télévisions - Small Bang 2016

Screenshots

Shifter4 screens
Phallaina4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shifter at every 3 months against Phallaina's every 37 months. Shifter also leads on iOS requirement (6.1 vs 12.0). Phallaina's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (93% vs 68%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shifter sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Phallaina sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phallaina holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Shifter's written reviews are positive against 93% of Phallaina's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shifter ships an update every 3 months, Phallaina every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Shifter versus Phallaina: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShifterPhallaina
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (24 ratings)4.8 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.0% of reviews92.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 37 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.1 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size333 MB318 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperAnomaly Productions, Inc.Small Bang

Customer experience

Shifter

All ratings23 ratings
Positive87.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive68.0%
Neutral4.9%
Negative27.2%

Phallaina

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Shifter

One-time5
  • Chapters 2 and 3$0.99
  • Chapters 4 and 5$0.99
  • Chapters 6 and 7$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Chapters 8 and 9$0.99
  • Full Unlock$2.99
1 purchases

Phallaina

One-time1
  • Full StoryFree

Questions

Is Shifter free?
Shifter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Phallaina free?
Phallaina is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shifter or Phallaina?
Phallaina is rated higher. Shifter averages 4.4 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Phallaina averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.
Do Shifter or Phallaina have ads?
Neither Shifter nor Phallaina shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shifter or Phallaina?
Shifter ships an update every 3 months, and Phallaina every 37 months. Most recently, Shifter was updated on November 1, 2026 and Phallaina on November 4, 2026.

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