Comparison

Motion Graphix Animator vs Exacto

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

Head to head
About

Motion Graphix Animator

Create dynamic 2.5D animations with layered photos, videos, and sprites. Animate size, rotation, transparency, and depth using a simple keyframe system. Add text, shapes, particle effects, and even animate hand-drawn elements.

Highlights
  • Layered 2.5D animation system
  • Keyframe animation for size, rotation, transparency, and depth
  • Animated background effects
  • Customizable text and shape elements
  • Sprite cutting with AI background removal
  • Particle system effects
  • Digital tracking for motion matching
Features
Read full description

This feature-rich 2.5D animation app lets you create anything from Ken-Burns-style photo montages to animated GIF 'memes', from instructional videos to spatial or stereoscopic film titles. Start by loading a photo or movie background, or create a colored background gradient. You can add animated color correction, zoom, pan or blur to the background at any time. Next add layers using your own media or one of the many included 'sprite' images. Now animate your layers with a powerful but simple keyframe animation system - just set the time and move the layer. You animate the size, rotation, transparency, and everything else the same way. And because Motion Graphix is a 2.5D animation system, you can also change the Z-position, or depth, of a layer, and it will shrink or move behind other layers as if it were moving farther from the 'camera'. Motion Graphix lets you add as many layers as you like, and animate them. Layers can be made not just from still pictures, but also from videos and animated GIFs. You can create your own text elements with outlines and shadows, or define your own basic shapes using standard Bezier curves and color gradient fills. And Motion Graphix includes a built-in sprite cutter, making it easy to cut elements out of your own photos by tracing a Bezier curve around them, or by using Apple’s AI background removal And once you cut an element out, it is added to your library, to reuse in future projects. You can also animate hand-drawn elements. Sketch a line or letter, and Motion Graphix will draw it on as the animation plays. This is really great for making underlines or circles to highlight parts or places in your background picture. You can also add particle-system layers, like snow, fireworks, bubbles, and more. And because advanced keyframe animation controls underlie the quick and intuitive process of simply setting the time and moving the element. You can dig in for precise control of your motion when needed, or let Motion Graphix do the work with built-in motions like spiral, jitter, bounce and more. For matching graphics to a moving background, try the revolutionary 'Digital Tracking' system: use your digit to follow the motion while the video plays, then apply that motion to a layer. When you're done, share a picture or movie to Photos or any app that accepts sharing, including Mail, Messages, YouTube, Dropbox and many more. If you have set depths on your layers, you can even save out stereoscopic renders in standard split-screen formats, red-blue anaglyph 3d format, or VR format suitable for viewing with Google Cardboard type viewers. Features: Easy-to-use keyframe-based animation system, just set the time and adjust the layer Animated filtering on background picture or movie: Color correction, blurring, still photo position and zoom Large built-in sprite library including animated character and visual effects elements Cut out your own sprites from any picture manually or with AI Create and animate text elements with font, fill and outline control Create your own basic shape and Bezier curves with fill and outline controls Animate colored, transparent, soft shadows and glows for any layer Import animated GIF images to use as sprites Dope sheet - View and adjust keyframes for all your elements side-by-side in one place. Particle generator with presets - Snow, Smoke, Fire, Fireworks, Starfield, Bubbles, Sparkler Digital tracking - Use your digit to follow features on moving video, track any sprite to follow the motion Animated drawing - Handwriting, arrows, annotations draw themselves over time 2.5D Animation: elements scale up and down as they move into or out of the screen, above or below other layers Stereoscopic output of 2.5D animation in anaglyph (red/blue), side-by-side, top-and-bottom and spatial formats Export MP4 h264, HDR, ProRes, MV-HEVC and GIF video, HEIC, PNG and JPG stills Export to 4k, Full HD, HD(720), half HD and SD resolutions Unlimited undo, redo.

About

Exacto

Easily create precise photo cutouts and remove backgrounds with a powerful pen selection tool. This app brings advanced desktop editing capabilities to your mobile device, allowing for pixel-perfect selections and unlimited layers for complex edits.

Highlights
  • Pen Selection Tool for precise cutouts
  • Unlimited layers for multiple selections
  • Delete and insert points in selections
  • Reset control points
  • Unlimited undo/redo
  • Autosave projects
  • Instant preview
Features
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Quickly remove unwanted backgrounds or create razor-sharp photo cutouts with the Pen Selection Tool. Previously found only in advanced desktop programs, now available for the very first time on iPhone and iPad with a streamlined and much simplified implementation optimized for touch. This incredibly versatile tool offers unique capabilities unmatched by anything else on the App Store. It’s an integral part of the professional toolbox and artists and photographers have relied on it for decades. Now you can too! You no longer have to waste hours working on a single photo only to achieve less than satisfactory results. With Exacto you can make pixel-perfect selections that precisely trace the contours of any subject, no matter how intricate or complex. But that’s not all! Exacto even goes beyond the standard functionality of the Pen Selection Tool by introducing features that provide greater flexibility and control such as the ability to delete and insert points anywhere in the selection, the ability to reset control points, and most importantly, unlimited layers for making multiple selections. In addition, Exacto offers other advanced features that greatly enhance the user experience including unlimited undo / redo, projects autosave, instant preview, and much more! Here’s how it works: 1 - Place points around an area of interest then drag them into position to make a selection. 2 - Add layers to make selections of multiple subjects and areas in your photo. 3 - Keep track of your progress with the full-size instant preview option. 4 - Made a mistake? With unlimited undo / redo your entire editing history is preserved, from start to finish. So you can go backward or forward as many steps as you need. 5 - Must leave in a hurry? With autosave your work is never lost and you can pick up right where you left off at any time. 6 - All done? Save your photo cutout to the Camera Roll or open it in other apps. There’s no limit to the fun and exciting ways you could use your photo cutouts. For example, you could: 1 - Superimpose them on different backgrounds. 2 - Insert them in work or school presentations. 3 - Use them as stickers in chats. 4 - Use them in creating decorative art. 5 - Print them out and make actual cardboard cutouts for special occasions. and on and on! Experiencing issues? Have comments or suggestions for future updates? Please contact us at support@exactoapp.com.

Screenshots

Motion Graphix Animator4 screens
Exacto4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Exacto at 4.5 against Motion Graphix Animator's 4.1. Exacto also leads on ratings volume (615 vs 9) and price ($2.99 vs $6.99). Motion Graphix Animator's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 55%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Motion Graphix Animator costs $6.99 and Exacto $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Exacto holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exacto has 615 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Motion Graphix Animator's written reviews are positive against 55% of Exacto's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Motion Graphix Animator ships an update every 4 months, Exacto every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Motion Graphix Animator versus Exacto: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMotion Graphix AnimatorExacto
Price$6.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.1 (9 ratings)4.5 (615 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better55.4% of reviews
Number of ratings9615 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPixelSplincherTinkerworks Apps

Customer experience

Motion Graphix Animator

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

Exacto

All ratings615 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive55.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative39.5%

Bugs and requests

Motion Graphix Animator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Exacto

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on newer iOS versions
  • Saving issues, unable to save with transparent background

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a refine selection brush
  • Ability to add a background layer
  • Magnetic lasso tool
  • Change the color of the selection outline
  • Combine with creative composition tools

In-app purchases

None

Motion Graphix Animator

No in-app purchases

None

Exacto

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Motion Graphix Animator free?
Motion Graphix Animator costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Exacto free?
Exacto costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Motion Graphix Animator or Exacto?
Exacto is rated higher. Motion Graphix Animator averages 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Exacto averages 4.5 from 615 ratings.
Do Motion Graphix Animator or Exacto have ads?
Neither Motion Graphix Animator nor Exacto shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Motion Graphix Animator or Exacto?
Motion Graphix Animator ships an update every 4 months, and Exacto every 2 months. Most recently, Motion Graphix Animator was updated on October 8, 2026 and Exacto on October 13, 2026.

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