Honest comparison · Updated 2026-09-18
Isolux vs Color Splash
Color Splash has been the go-to selective-color app on iOS for over a decade — thousands of five-star reviews and a genre-defining name. Isolux is a newer, tighter take on the same idea: pick a hue, grey out the rest, done. Here's an honest look at where they diverge.
Dimension-by-dimension
| Dimension | Isolux | Color Splash | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core workflow | Drag a tactile color wheel to pick any hue, with real-time selective-color preview as you drag. | Manual brush-based erasing to reveal color under a greyscale layer — more control over exact edges, more taps required. | |
| One-tap presets | Six one-tap hue presets plus an adjustable hue range slider for fine control. | No hue-wheel presets — every photo starts from a brush stroke. | |
| Batch processing | Pro unlocks batch processing up to 20 photos at once. | One photo at a time; no batch mode. | |
| Precision edge control | Hue-range based selection is fast but less exact around fine detail (hair, foliage). | Manual brush erasing gives pixel-level control over exactly which color survives. | |
| Track record | New app, still building a review history. | 6,400+ ratings at 4.9★ and a decade of App Store presence. | |
| Pricing | Free core tool; Pro batch processing is an in-app purchase. | $1.99 one-time. |
Isolux advantage · Color Splash advantage · roughly equal
Where Isolux wins
- Hue-wheel speed. Dragging a wheel to isolate a color is faster than brushing it in by hand for most everyday photos.
- Batch mode. Isolux is the only one of the two that can process a whole shoot's worth of photos with one set of settings.
- Before/after toggle makes it fast to judge whether the effect reads well before exporting.
Where Color Splash wins
- Manual brush precision. For photos with fine, tangled edges (hair, lace, foliage), hand-brushing which pixels stay in color beats any automatic hue-range selection.
- Maturity. A decade of updates and 6,400+ five-star ratings is a real trust signal a newer app can't match yet.
Pick Isolux if…
You want a fast, wheel-based way to pop one color on a batch of photos without manual brushing.
See IsoluxPick Color Splash if…
You need pixel-precise control over fiddly edges, or you want the safety of an app with a long, proven track record.
Visit Color Splash siteBoth do the same trick — grey out everything but one color. Color Splash trades speed for precision; Isolux trades a decade of polish for a faster, batch-friendly workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between Isolux and Color Splash?+
Color Splash has been the go-to selective-color app on iOS for over a decade — thousands of five-star reviews and a genre-defining name. Isolux is a newer, tighter take on the same idea: pick a hue, grey out the rest, done. Here's an honest look at where they diverge.
Should I choose Isolux or Color Splash?+
Pick Isolux if: You want a fast, wheel-based way to pop one color on a batch of photos without manual brushing. Pick Color Splash if: You need pixel-precise control over fiddly edges, or you want the safety of an app with a long, proven track record.
What can Isolux do that Color Splash can't?+
Hue-wheel speed. Dragging a wheel to isolate a color is faster than brushing it in by hand for most everyday photos. Batch mode. Isolux is the only one of the two that can process a whole shoot's worth of photos with one set of settings. Before/after toggle makes it fast to judge whether the effect reads well before exporting.
Where does Color Splash win over Isolux?+
Manual brush precision. For photos with fine, tangled edges (hair, lace, foliage), hand-brushing which pixels stay in color beats any automatic hue-range selection. Maturity. A decade of updates and 6,400+ five-star ratings is a real trust signal a newer app can't match yet.
How much does Isolux cost compared to Color Splash?+
Isolux: Free core tool; Pro batch processing is an in-app purchase. Color Splash: $1.99 one-time.