# Blackie vs MainframePunch

The clearest difference is price: MainframePunch at Free against Blackie's $3.99. Blackie's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

MainframePunch is free to download; Blackie costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Blackie ships an update monthly, MainframePunch every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackie | MainframePunch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.1 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackie/id904557761/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **44** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 26 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brutality Arts](https://appshunter.io/developer/596941590) | [Thomas Gillan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828513781) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackie/id904557761)

This app is designed for black and white photography enthusiasts, offering a minimal interface and powerful tools for both beginners and professionals. It provides real-time effect previews, manual camera controls, and extensive editing options to achieve stunning monochrome images.

**Highlights:** Real-time effect previews, Manual camera controls, Extensive editing mods, Customizable presets, Minimalist design, Fast camera access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Excellent B&W quality
- 🎨 Great filters and effects
- ⚙️ Powerful controls
- 📸 Good for street photography
- 💡 Customizable options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🚫 App not usable (on some devices)
- 📉 Poor usability (for some)
- 🐞 Bugs and glitches
- 🫙 Difficult to save photos

**Reported bugs**

- Severe crashes
- Photos not saving
- Editing not saving
- Upper side of pictures cut off
- Double assignments in UI (e.g., histogram)

**Requested features**

- Customizable default comment in metadata
- Home screen shortcut icon
- Masking function
- Retouch/correction function
- Support for 48MP max grid


### MainframePunch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mainframepunch/id6751125827)

Transform your text into animated, retro punch-card videos with authentic hole patterns and sounds. Add custom captions, preview your creations, and share them instantly. All processing is done on your device for maximum privacy.

**Highlights:** Authentic 80-column punch card creation, Live preview and video recording, Customizable bottom caption, Synchronized punch audio, Automatic text flow across multiple cards, Adjustable animation speed and card scale, On-device processing for privacy

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackie free?

Blackie costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MainframePunch free?

MainframePunch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Blackie or MainframePunch have ads?

Neither Blackie nor MainframePunch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blackie or MainframePunch?

Blackie ships an update monthly, and MainframePunch every 12 months. Most recently, Blackie was updated on September 22, 2026 and MainframePunch on September 23, 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.*