Softwr

Photography · head to head

Facetune vs VSCO

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
VSCO logo

VSCO

Photography

Photo editing and sharing app built around film-emulation presets, with a paid membership tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; VSCO the free tier is deliberately limited, and the specific film-emulation presets VSCO is best known for from marketing and influencer use are mostly locked behind the paid annual membership.
  • They diverge on capability: Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, VSCO covers Film-emulation presets.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facetune and VSCO actually diverge.

Attributes where Facetune and VSCO differ
AttributeFacetuneVSCO
Pricing modelFree download with a short free trial, most tools require a Facetune Pro subscription that auto-renews annuallyFree with a limited preset and tool set; paid annual membership unlocks the full library
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).

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 VSCO

  • Film-emulation presets
  • Manual editing tools
  • Metrics-free social feed
  • VSCO Studio
  • Video editing
  • Montage and layout tools

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

VSCO

  • A content creator wanting a specific film-look aesthetic for social media postsnot Facetune
  • Someone wanting to share photos in a feed without public like counts or algorithmic rankingnot Facetune
  • A photographer wanting batch editing tools across a shoot without a full desktop editing suitenot Facetune
  • A user deciding whether the free tier basic presets are enough or whether the paid library depth is needednot 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.

VSCO

  • The free tier is deliberately limited, and the specific film-emulation presets VSCO is best known for from marketing and influencer use are mostly locked behind the paid annual membership.
  • There is no monthly subscription option in most markets, only an annual charge, which is a larger upfront commitment than competitors offering month-to-month billing.
  • The metrics-free social feed, while a stated design choice, also means VSCO has far less organic reach or discovery potential than Instagram or TikTok, limiting its use as a growth tool for creators.
  • Editing performance and preset rendering can be slow on older or lower-spec devices, particularly when applying film-grain and texture effects to high-resolution images.
  • Export and integration options into other creative tools are limited compared with dedicated professional editors, so heavy retouching work typically still requires moving files to a separate app.

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

VSCO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • A small selection of basic filter presets
    • Core manual editing tools
    • No access to Studio, video editing or the full preset library
  • VSCO Membership$29.99/year
    • Full preset and filter library
    • Studio batch editing and video editing tools
    • Montage and advanced layout tools

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 VSCO if

  • You need film-emulation presets.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want manual editing tools.
VSCO review

Questions people ask

Is Facetune or VSCO better?
Neither clearly leads. Facetune starts at Free and VSCO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facetune or VSCO?
Facetune starts at Free and VSCO at Free.
Does Facetune or VSCO run on more platforms?
Facetune runs on iOS, Android. VSCO runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Facetune for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 VSCO is typically brought in for.
What can Facetune do that VSCO cannot?
Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Facial reshaping, Body contouring, Teeth whitening and eye enhancement. VSCO covers Film-emulation presets, Manual editing tools, Metrics-free social feed, VSCO Studio.

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.

VSCO: Is VSCO free?

A limited version is free, but the full preset library, Studio and video editing tools require the paid annual VSCO Membership.

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.

VSCO: Does VSCO have a monthly plan?

In most markets it is billed annually only, with no separate monthly option.

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.

VSCO: Does VSCO show like counts?

No, the social feed is deliberately built without public like counts or algorithmic engagement ranking.

Share

Related pages

More on Facetune

More on VSCO

Keep looking

Other head to heads