The Lensa Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Lensa in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Lensa
The Insider’s Guide
Phone photo editor with AI effects, retouching and an eraser
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from Lensa’s own pages.
Made by Prisma Labs, Inc. · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Lensa’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Lensa’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 49 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade
Lensa is a photo editor for iPhone and Android from Prisma Labs. It applies AI effects and presets, retouches faces and hair, erases objects, and upscales or restores low-quality photos. The app is free to download and sells access through in-app purchases.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Lensa, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for phone photo effects and retouching from Prisma Labs
Lensa is a phone photo editor with AI effects, retouching, an eraser and an upscaler.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12.96 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $2.99 for Unlimited Access (1 Week), per the App Store listing.
- 3
There is a free plan
The app is free to download; the store listing does not say which features work without paying.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and Android.
- 5
AI effects and presets
One-tap looks and color presets that grade a photo for a consistent feed.
- 6
Beauty and hair tools
Retouching, makeup and hair adjustments, plus a hair try-on that restyles a selfie into different cuts.
- 7
Object eraser
Brush over a person or object and the app fills in the background.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 49 of 89
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Lensa you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Lensa at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $2.99 for Unlimited Access (1 Week), per the App Store listing
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- iOS, Android
- Made by
- Prisma Labs, Inc.
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 418,160 ratings
The report card
Best for phone photo effects and retouching from Prisma Labs
Lensa is a phone photo editor with AI effects, retouching, an eraser and an upscaler. It is free to download, but the store listing doesn't say what works unpaid or what period each charge covers, and some reviewers complain about charges.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | A $2.99 one-week pass or $29.99 and $35.99 plans whose billing periods aren't shown, so what you pay per month is unclear. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free to download, but the listing doesn't say which features work without paying. |
| Features | C | Effects, beauty and hair tools, an eraser, an enhancer and avatar packs. Avatars are bought separately at $3.99 to $11.99. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.7 from about 418,000 App Store ratings. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | iPhone and Android only. No desktop app or web editor. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Lensa is for
- Fits if you edit photos on your phone and like one-tap effects
- Works for people who want an eraser and an enhancer in the same app
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to work on a computer, since Lensa is phone-only
- Watch out: billing periods are mostly missing on the store listing
- Watch out: Magic Avatars are extra, at $3.99 to $11.99 a pack
- Watch out: some App Store reviews complain about charges or avatar sets that never arrived
Good to know
Good for
- Casual social-media editing from a phone
- Removing a bystander or small object from a photo
- Trying a haircut or a stylized look on a selfie
Worth knowing
- Billing periods are mostly not shown on the store listing, so what each in-app purchase costs per month is unclear before opening the app.
- The app is phone-only; the vendor's site links to the App Store and Google Play and offers no desktop app.
- Several reviews on the App Store listing complain about charges or avatar sets that did not arrive; the average rating there is about 4.7 across 418,000 ratings.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12.96
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Lensa has a free plan. Paid plans start at $2.99 for Unlimited Access (1 Week), per the App Store listing.
Free to download, but the listing doesn't say which features work without paying.
Free download
$0
The app costs nothing to install; the listing shows in-app purchases from $2.99 to $49.99.
Unlimited Access (1 Week)
$2.99
for 1 week
Shortest access pass in the US App Store list.
Unlimited Access
$29.99
billing period not shown on the listing
Amounts of $4.99, $29.99, $39.99 and $49.99 are all listed as Unlimited Access with no period. The store description separately gives a weekly plan range of $6.99 to $19.99.
Membership
$35.99
billing period not shown on the listing
In-app purchase named Membership.
Magic Avatars packs
$3.99
one-time packs, $3.99 to $11.99
Avatar packs sold separately, listed as Pack 1 ($3.99), Pack 2 ($5.99), Pack 10 ($7.99) and Pack 11 ($11.99).
The free plan
The app is free to download; the store listing does not say which features work without paying.
Read from apps.apple.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: iOS and Android
Phone photo editor with AI effects, retouching and an eraser. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, image generation.
Effects, beauty and hair tools, an eraser, an enhancer and avatar packs.
- AI effects and presets
- One-tap looks and color presets that grade a photo for a consistent feed.
- Beauty and hair tools
- Retouching, makeup and hair adjustments, plus a hair try-on that restyles a selfie into different cuts.
- Object eraser
- Brush over a person or object and the app fills in the background.
- Enhancer
- Upscales cropped or low-resolution photos and brightens dark ones.
- Avatars
- The store listing describes artistic avatar creation, sold as separate Magic Avatars packs.
Where it runs
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Lensa is made by Prisma Labs, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
49/89
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
Lensa's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 49 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 84 of 89) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $12.96 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 44 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 90 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lensa’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 89
- CFree plan and trialAbove 28 of 89
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 89
- AEase of useAbove 84 of 89
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 89
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Lensa is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Lensa you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $155.48 a year.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Lensa’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Remini, Photoleap, Picsart, Fotor and Photoroom
The 5 tools Lensa is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Remini
Free plan · from $4.99
AI photo enhancer that sharpens old and blurry pictures.
- Only Lensa lists an Android app.
- Only Remini lists a web app.
- 1.6GPA
Photoleap
Free trial
iPhone photo editor with AI image generation and layered edits.
- Lensa has a free plan. Photoleap does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lensa lists an Android app.
- Photoleap also covers video generation.
- 2.0GPA
Picsart
Paid
Photo and video editor with AI generation and design tools.
- Lensa has a free plan. Picsart does not.
- Only Lensa lists an Android app.
- Only Picsart lists a web app.
- 3.0GPA
Fotor
Free plan · from $39.99/yr
Photo editor and AI image and video generator with credit plans.
- Only Fotor lists a web app.
- Only Fotor lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Fotor also covers templates and video generation.
- 2.2GPA
Photoroom
Free trial · from $12.99/mo
AI product photo editor for e-commerce sellers.
- Lensa has a free plan. Photoroom does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lensa lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Photoroom lists a web app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Lensa free?
Lensa has a free plan. The app is free to download; the store listing does not say which features work without paying.
How much does Lensa cost?
Lensa lists 5 plans. Free download: $0.
What platforms does Lensa work on?
Lensa is available on iOS and Android.
How is Lensa rated?
Lensa's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 418,160 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Lensa have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Lensa is listed for iOS and Android.
Does Lensa have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Lensa is listed for iOS and Android.
Is Lensa open source?
Lensa is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Who makes Lensa?
Lensa is made by Prisma Labs, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Lensa?
The closest alternatives to Lensa in our directory are Remini, Photoleap, Picsart, Fotor and Photoroom.
How does Lensa compare with other AI image and video generators?
Lensa's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 49 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 16.
Is Lensa good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Lensa C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12.96 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 44 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Lensa?
To replace Lensa you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Lensa’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lensa's own pages on 12 November 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Prisma Labs, Inc. Prices change, so check lensa.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Lensa, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/lensa
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Lensa: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/lensa
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/lensa/guide
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See our other guides
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Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Lensa’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Lensa is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Prisma Labs, Inc. Prices and plans change: check lensa.app before you buy.