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Photography · head to head

Facetune vs Storytel

Facetune logo

Facetune

Photography

Selfie and portrait retouching app from Lightricks, sold on a subscription with a short free trial

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Storytel logo

Storytel

Publishing

Unlimited audiobook and ebook subscription, strong in Europe and Latin America, no library card needed

From
$14.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Facetune has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Facetune the free trial is short, commonly around 3 days, and automatically converts into a paid annual subscription unless the user proactively cancels beforehand, a pattern that has generated a consistent volume of complaints about unexpected charges.; Storytel catalogue depth and specific title availability vary significantly by country, so the experience in a core Nordic market is not the same as in newer markets.
  • They diverge on capability: Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Storytel covers Unlimited streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facetune and Storytel actually diverge.

Attributes where Facetune and Storytel differ
AttributeFacetuneStorytel
Starting priceFree$14.99/month
Pricing modelFree download with a short free trial, most tools require a Facetune Pro subscription that auto-renews annuallyPer user per month, unlimited
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
CategoryPhotographyPublishing

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Facetune

  • Skin and blemish retouching
  • Facial reshaping
  • Body contouring
  • Teeth whitening and eye enhancement
  • Background blur and replacement
  • One-tap auto-enhance

Only in Storytel

  • Unlimited streaming
  • Offline downloads
  • Combined ebook and audiobook catalogue
  • Kids profiles
  • Personalised recommendations
  • Multi-device sync

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Facetune

  • Someone wanting quick, targeted retouching of a single selfie or portrait before posting to social medianot Storytel
  • A user comfortable cancelling a free trial through their phone app store settings before it converts to a paid annual chargenot Storytel
  • Someone who has decided to pay for the annual subscription and wants a broad set of face and body retouching tools in one appnot Storytel
  • A user who has used Photoleap or Videoleap from the same publisher and wants a consistent editing tool stylenot Storytel

Storytel

  • A commuter who listens to several audiobooks a month and finds per-title purchase or credit systems expensivenot Facetune
  • A reader tired of library holds queues who wants guaranteed instant access to anything in the cataloguenot Facetune
  • A family wanting a shared subscription with separate kids profiles for audio contentnot Facetune
  • Someone in a Storytel-strong market such as Sweden, Poland or Brazil where the catalogue depth is greatestnot Facetune

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Facetune

  • The free trial is short, commonly around 3 days, and automatically converts into a paid annual subscription unless the user proactively cancels beforehand, a pattern that has generated a consistent volume of complaints about unexpected charges.
  • Cancellation must be done through the phone Apple App Store or Google Play subscription management screens rather than a clear button inside the app itself, adding friction specifically at the point users most want to stop paying.
  • Nearly all meaningful retouching functionality is locked behind the paid tier, so the free download is not a genuinely usable product on its own, only a gateway to the trial.
  • Heavy reliance on face and body reshaping tools has drawn broader criticism, common to this whole app category, over promoting unrealistic beauty standards, particularly among younger users.
  • Published subscription pricing has varied by region and promotional period, so the price a new user is quoted is not necessarily stable or consistent across markets.

Storytel

  • Catalogue depth and specific title availability vary significantly by country, so the experience in a core Nordic market is not the same as in newer markets.
  • Access stops the moment you cancel, so a lapsed subscriber loses the ability to continue books they were partway through, unlike owned audiobook purchases elsewhere.
  • Its ebook catalogue is meaningfully smaller than dedicated ebook services, so heavy ebook readers may find it thinner than expected.
  • It competes on unlimited access, so heavy listeners get better value than light users, who may find a credit-based service like Libro.fm or Audible cheaper per book.
  • Pricing and plan structure have changed by market over time, so the number of concurrent profiles and exact price should be checked for your specific country.

Pricing, plan by plan

Facetune

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Very limited basic editing tools
    • Most retouching features locked
    • Trial access to Pro tools for a short period, commonly around 3 days
  • Facetune Pro$47.99/year
    • Full access to retouching, reshaping and enhancement tools
    • Auto-renews annually unless cancelled before trial or renewal date
    • Cancellation handled through Apple App Store or Google Play subscription settings, not inside the app

Storytel

$14.99/month
  • Storytel$14.99/month
    • Unlimited audiobook streaming
    • Smaller unlimited ebook catalogue
    • Offline downloads

Which should you pick?

Choose Facetune if

  • You need skin and blemish retouching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want facial reshaping.
Facetune review

Choose Storytel if

  • You need unlimited streaming.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want offline downloads.
Storytel review

Questions people ask

Is Facetune or Storytel better?
Neither clearly leads. Facetune starts at Free and Storytel at $14.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facetune or Storytel?
Facetune has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Facetune and $14.99/month for Storytel.
Does Facetune or Storytel run on more platforms?
Facetune runs on iOS, Android. Storytel runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Facetune for free?
Yes. Facetune has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Storytel starts at $14.99/month.
What is Facetune best used for?
Facetune is most often used for someone wanting quick, targeted retouching of a single selfie or portrait before posting to social media, a user comfortable cancelling a free trial through their phone app store settings before it converts to a paid annual charge, someone who has decided to pay for the annual subscription and wants a broad set of face and body retouching tools in one app, a user who has used photoleap or videoleap from the same publisher and wants a consistent editing tool style. Of those, someone wanting quick, targeted retouching of a single selfie or portrait before posting to social media and a user comfortable cancelling a free trial through their phone app store settings before it converts to a paid annual charge are not what Storytel is typically brought in for.
What can Facetune do that Storytel cannot?
Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Facial reshaping, Body contouring, Teeth whitening and eye enhancement. Storytel covers Unlimited streaming, Offline downloads, Combined ebook and audiobook catalogue, Kids profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Facetune: Does Facetune have a free trial?

Yes, typically around 3 days, after which it automatically converts to a paid annual subscription unless cancelled beforehand.

Storytel: Do I need a library card for Storytel?

No, it is a paid subscription open to anyone regardless of library eligibility.

Facetune: How do I cancel a Facetune subscription?

Cancellation is done through the Apple App Store or Google Play subscription settings on your phone, not through a button inside the Facetune app itself.

Storytel: Is access unlimited or credit-based?

Unlimited streaming while subscribed, not a credit system like Libro.fm or Audible.

Facetune: Can I use Facetune without paying?

The free download offers very limited functionality; nearly all retouching tools require the paid Facetune Pro subscription after the trial ends.

Storytel: What happens to my books if I cancel?

You lose access to the catalogue, including anything you were partway through, since nothing is owned outright.

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