YouCam Makeup is the best pick for realistic beauty edits, Facetune is stronger for clean portrait retouching, and BeautyPlus is best for quick social filters. All three apps are free to start and include paid upgrades, with app stores listing in-app purchases for this category [source: Apple].
TLDR: YouCam Makeup suits users who want makeup try-ons, skin tools, and AI beauty edits in one place. Facetune works better for creators who need polished selfies, sharper portraits, and background edits. BeautyPlus is the fastest option for playful filters, stickers, and casual posts. For example, a creator editing 30 selfies per month may save more time with BeautyPlus, while a beauty shopper testing 10 lipstick shades would get more value from YouCam Makeup.
Quick comparison
The three apps aim at the same broad goal: better selfies. Still, they feel very different after five minutes of use. YouCam Makeup focuses on beauty realism. Facetune focuses on retouching control. BeautyPlus focuses on speed and fun.
- YouCam Makeup: best for virtual makeup, skin checks, hair color, and beauty filters.
- Facetune: best for face edits, photo cleanup, outfit polish, and creator-ready portraits.
- BeautyPlus: best for cute filters, quick fixes, stickers, and social content.
YouCam Makeup: best for beauty try-ons
YouCam Makeup feels built for users who care about makeup details. It offers virtual lipstick, blush, contour, lashes, eyeliner, foundation, and hair color. The results are usually convincing because the app maps makeup to the face instead of just placing a flat filter over the image.
Its biggest strength is try-before-buy beauty editing. A user can test a pink lipstick, switch to red, add lashes, and soften skin in one workflow. That makes it useful for beauty shoppers, makeup fans, salons, and influencers who show product ideas.
The app also includes AI avatars, skin smoothing, blemish removal, teeth whitening, face reshaping, and background tools. Some features can feel packed into too many menus. Honestly, it feels like one extra tap too many when a user only wants a simple glow filter.
Best features:
- Realistic makeup try-on tools
- AI skin smoothing and blemish cleanup
- Hair color changer
- Beauty filters for selfies and videos
- Face reshaping and teeth whitening
Facetune: best for polished portrait edits
Facetune is the strongest option for users who want more control over a finished portrait. It handles skin, lighting, backgrounds, clothes, and facial details with a more editor-like feel. It is less about “try this lipstick” and more about “make this photo look ready to post.”
Facetune is popular with creators because it can clean up a photo without making it look too cartoonish, at least when used lightly. It includes tools for smoothing skin, reshaping areas, whitening teeth, fixing lighting, blurring backgrounds, and removing objects. Newer AI tools also help with outfits, headshots, and backgrounds.
The catch is that Facetune can tempt users into over-editing. A small face adjustment looks fine. Several stacked edits can make the photo look strange. It also places many stronger features behind a paid plan, so the free version can feel limited fast.
Best features:
- Detailed face and skin retouching
- Lighting and color fixes
- Background blur and replacement
- Object removal
- AI portrait and style tools
BeautyPlus: best for fast, playful edits
BeautyPlus is the most casual app of the three. It works well for users who want a photo fixed in under a minute. Its filters are bright, soft, and social-friendly. The app also includes stickers, effects, templates, makeup filters, body tools, and AI features.
BeautyPlus is not always the most realistic option. Some filters create a glossy look that screams “edited.” Still, that is part of its appeal. For posts, stories, profile photos, and cute edits, it gets the job done quickly.
Expect to waste time on ads and locked premium effects if using the free version. That gets annoying when a user taps three filters in a row and two need an upgrade. Paid access removes much of that friction.
Best features:
- One-tap beauty filters
- Stickers, effects, and templates
- Basic makeup edits
- Skin smoothing and face tweaks
- AI photo tools for quick social content
Pricing comparison
Pricing changes by country, store, and promotion, so exact numbers can shift. In general, all three apps use a freemium model. Basic tools are free. Premium filters, HD exports, AI tools, and advanced retouching usually require a subscription.
- YouCam Makeup: often offers monthly and yearly premium plans. It gives the best paid value for users who need makeup, skin, and hair tools often.
- Facetune: usually costs more than basic beauty apps, but it gives stronger portrait controls. It is better for creators who edit often.
- BeautyPlus: usually sits in the middle. It is worth paying for if filters, templates, and quick edits are used several times a week.
For light use, the free versions may be enough. For weekly content creation, a yearly plan often makes more sense than a monthly plan. A user editing 100 images a year will usually get better value from annual pricing than paying month to month.
Which app should each user choose?
- Choose YouCam Makeup if the goal is makeup testing, beauty edits, hair color, or a more realistic glam look.
- Choose Facetune if the goal is clean portraits, creator content, stronger retouching, and background cleanup.
- Choose BeautyPlus if the goal is fast edits, cute filters, stickers, and social posts with less effort.
For most beauty-focused users, YouCam Makeup wins overall. For influencers and portrait-heavy creators, Facetune is the safer pick. For casual users who just want a prettier selfie fast, BeautyPlus is the easiest.
FAQ
Which app has the best makeup filters?
YouCam Makeup has the best makeup filters because it offers more detailed tools for lipstick, blush, contour, lashes, and hair color.
Which app is best for natural retouching?
Facetune is best for natural retouching when edits are kept light. It gives more control over skin, lighting, and facial details.
Is BeautyPlus good for professional photos?
BeautyPlus can improve photos fast, but it is better for social posts than professional work. Its filters can look obvious.
Are the free versions enough?
They are enough for basic edits. Users who want premium filters, AI tools, and cleaner exports will likely need a paid plan.
Which app is easiest for beginners?
BeautyPlus is the easiest for beginners. It has simple filters and quick edits that need very little practice.