Comparison

GradientMaker vs Colourtone

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

Head to head
About

GradientMaker

Create stunning color gradients and blur effects for photos and wallpapers. Customize colors with an advanced picker and import images to apply unique effects. Save creations in wallpaper or full image sizes.

Highlights
  • Customizable color gradients
  • Adjustable blur effects
  • Import photos for customization
  • Wallpaper creation mode
  • Random gradient generation
  • Dual sizing modes
Features
Read full description

GradientMaker - Gradient Blur FX Pro Image Effects and Wallpaper Background Maker Create spectacular color gradients! • Fully customizable color gradient and blur effects • Custom color picker allows endless color combinations • Import photos to customize with color gradients and blur effects • "Dock Mode" creates a gradient background for a great dock color effect when used for device wallpaper • Shuffle mode to load randomized custom gradients • Add gentle blur to soften a photo, or add maximum blur for a unique and colorful iPhone/iPad wallpaper background • Two sizing modes - Wallpaper: Save image/gradient as the size of your iPhone or iPad Image: Save image/gradient as the full size of your imported image.

About

Colourtone

Transform your photos and videos with a vast collection of aesthetic filters inspired by analog film and cinematic styles. Offers pro editing tools, grain, texture, and glow effects for a premium, cohesive look across your content. Edit quickly and achieve professional results without a steep learning curve.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of aesthetic film-inspired filters
  • Photo and video editing capabilities
  • Film grain, texture, and overlays
  • Bloom and halation glow effects
  • Pro editing tools (HSL, curves, etc.)
  • Batch editing for photos
  • Save custom looks
Features
Read full description

Make your photos and videos look like you have a creative team. You don't. You have Colourtone. Clean, vintage, film-inspired, or full analogue chaos. 150+ filters, real grain, proper glow, and pro tools that make a camera roll look intentional in seconds. No Lightroom learning curve, no beginner mode. Just the tools you'd actually reach for. NEW ◆ THE SUMMER PROGRAMME ◆ 7 true film looks, graded from the negative up, each adjustable from a stop under to a stop over ◆ 7 Super 8 looks for video: halation, gate weave, grain ◆ 5 HandyCam looks: MiniDV colour and that particular 2003 white balance ◆ Film Print Effect: print-stock roll-off that finishes any edit ◆ Motion blur with full opacity control, plus video cropping in every ratio FILTERS THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE FILM Not "vintage" in a fake sepia way. Real film behaviour, built by someone who actually shoots it. ◆ 150+ filters across 30 collections: analogue film, cinematic tones, and digital camera looks ◆ Warm, soft, clean, bold, nostalgic, and everything between ◆ New collections added regularly. Free filters stay free. ONE EDITOR FOR PHOTO AND VIDEO Your feed stays cohesive across everything you post. ◆ The same filters and tools on stills and clips ◆ Batch edit when you have 20 photos and zero patience ◆ Full-resolution export, detail intact TONES ◆ YOUR LOOK, SAVED The reason your favourite creator's feed all matches. ◆ Build your recipe once: filter, grain, glow, the lot ◆ Apply the whole look in one tap, forever ◆ Share Tones with friends, or keep the recipe to yourself GRAIN, TEXTURE + OVERLAYS The details that make an edit feel finished. ◆ 8 custom grain models that behave like real film ◆ 180+ overlays: light leaks, dust, date stamps, film borders ◆ 7 blend modes for layering without the mess BLOOM + HALATION The glow you normally only get from actual film. ◆ Smooth highlight roll-off and soft skin bloom ◆ Halation that blooms where it should ◆ Film nostalgia, rebuilt properly PRO TOOLS WITHOUT THE HEADACHE ◆ Exposure, contrast, warmth, and colour ◆ HSL, curves, split toning, vibrance, sharpen ◆ Precision controls designed to feel fast on iPhone MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE HOW THINGS LOOK Photographers, creators, small brands, and anyone whose camera roll deserves better. Selfies, portraits, travel, brand shoots, reels, and the everyday photos in between. Free to download and edit. Membership unlocks the full Catalogue. Colourtone® ◆ Est. 2018 ◆ Officially graded for leisure.

Screenshots

GradientMaker4 screens
Colourtone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GradientMaker at 100% against Colourtone's 53%. GradientMaker also leads on iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.0). Colourtone's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.7) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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

Both are free to download. GradientMaker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Colourtone sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Colourtone holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Colourtone has 7.1K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of GradientMaker's written reviews are positive against 53% of Colourtone's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GradientMaker ships an update every 32 months, Colourtone every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
GradientMaker versus Colourtone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGradientMakerColourtone
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (9 ratings)4.3 (7.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better53.3% of reviews
Number of ratings97.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 32 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB599 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperorbosphereBonnie Curtis

Customer experience

GradientMaker

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Colourtone

All ratings7,059 ratings
Positive80.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews1,030 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral11.5%
Negative35.2%

Bugs and requests

GradientMaker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Colourtone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Photos not showing up during editing
  • Filters not applying correctly
  • Inability to save edited videos
  • App crashing on launch or during use

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bring back free Palm Beach filter
  • Add more free filter options
  • Improve export and saving functionality
  • Reduce app storage footprint
  • Enhance video editing capabilities

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GradientMaker

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
11 purchases

Colourtone

Subscriptions4
  • Colourtone Pro Legacy Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Colourtone Weekly Pro7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Pro Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Pro Subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time7
  • City Lights Collection$1.99
  • Classic Collection$2.99
  • Wanderlust$3.99
Show 4 more
  • Island Escape Collection$3.99
  • Cali Summer Collection$3.99
  • Beach Bronze Collection$3.99
  • Summer Daze$3.99

Questions

Is GradientMaker free?
GradientMaker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Colourtone free?
Colourtone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GradientMaker or Colourtone?
Colourtone is rated higher. GradientMaker averages 3.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Colourtone averages 4.3 from 7.1K ratings.
Do GradientMaker or Colourtone have ads?
GradientMaker shows ads; Colourtone does not.
Which is updated more often, GradientMaker or Colourtone?
GradientMaker ships an update every 32 months, and Colourtone every 4 days. Most recently, GradientMaker was updated on October 24, 2026 and Colourtone on November 2, 2026.

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