# Fx Stencil vs Artistic String

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fx Stencil at 43% against Artistic String's 0%. Fx Stencil also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (1K vs 1). Artistic String's advantage is iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fx Stencil sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Artistic String sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Fx Stencil holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fx Stencil has 1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Fx Stencil's written reviews are positive against 0% of Artistic String's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fx Stencil | Artistic String |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fx-stencil/id840899578/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artistic-string-string-art/id6444849887/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **43.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tien Le](https://appshunter.io/developer/840899581) | [Kiem Pham Dinh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1657129722) |

## What reviewers say

### Fx Stencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fx-stencil/id840899578)

Transform your photos into unique stencil art. Easily edit, customize colors, and apply gradients to create personalized designs for printing on various materials or sharing with loved ones.

**Highlights:** Create stencils from photos, Edit and customize stencils, Gradient stencil effects, Save and share stencils, Simple drawing tools, Invert stencil option

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Watermark | $0.99 | one-time |
| Add Picker Color | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gradient Stencil | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Advertisement | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app
- 👍 Love app
- 👍 Stencil app
- 👍 Simple and elegant
- 👍 Great for black and white contrast

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Clumsy
- 🐛 Crashes
- 🐛 Buggy
- 🐛 Limited
- 🐛 Doesn't access albums

**Reported bugs**

- Only lets you do one stencil
- App closes when selecting photo
- Zooms in to one corner
- Doesn't display entire picture

**Requested features**

- Two-tone image options
- Ability to add more photos
- Bring back old invert option
- Allow access to photo albums


### Artistic String

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artistic-string-string-art/id6444849887)

Design intricate string art with monochrome and multicolor drawing modes. This app offers a unique way to create visual art using virtual threads. Explore your creativity with a simple yet powerful interface.

**Highlights:** String art creation, Monochrome drawing mode, Multicolor drawing mode, Unique thread art designs, Intuitive interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $44.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fx Stencil free?

Fx Stencil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Artistic String free?

Artistic String is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Fx Stencil or Artistic String?

Fx Stencil is rated higher. Fx Stencil averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Artistic String averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Fx Stencil or Artistic String have ads?

Neither Fx Stencil nor Artistic String shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fx Stencil or Artistic String?

Fx Stencil ships an update every 2 months, and Artistic String every 2 months. Most recently, Fx Stencil was updated on October 12, 2026 and Artistic String on October 8, 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.*