What are the options for making App Store screenshots?
Published
Short answer
There is no single right answer here. The real decision is how much manual control you want, whether you need iPad screenshots, whether you ship to both the App Store and Google Play, and whether you’re willing to maintain a screenshot file over time. General design tools like Figma and Sketch give full control with no store-size knowledge built in. Purpose-built generators like AppLaunchpad and AppScreenStudio know the required sizes and can export for iPad and Google Play. AI-assisted tools, including Shotluma, automate layout instead. This page is written by Shotluma’s maintainer, so verify the claims below yourself.
Key points
- This comparison is written by Shotluma’s maintainer. Every claim about a competing product comes from that product’s own site, checked on 22 August 2026, and is cited so you can verify it yourself rather than take the page’s word for it.
- Shotluma exports iPhone sizes only — 1290 × 2796 and 1242 × 2688 — with no iPad option, and both sizes exceed Google Play’s long-side-at-most-twice-short-side rule, so neither can be uploaded to Play2 (source 2).
- Shotluma keeps projects and AI provider keys in one browser with no account, no sync and no team features — clearing site data loses the work — and it is a solo, unfunded project with no support commitment.
- AppLaunchpad and AppScreenStudio each publish dedicated iPad and Google Play export on their own sites5 (source 5)6 (source 6), and AppMockup publishes the same pair through an AI-generated layout7 (source 7).
- Figma and Sketch give exact control over every pixel because you build the artboard yourself, but neither publishes App Store or Google Play size knowledge on its pricing page — you supply and check the dimensions3 (source 3)4 (source 4).
Who wrote this comparison
A shorter list of honestly-checked products is worth more than a longer speculative one, so several tools found in search results were left out of this page entirely because their own sites did not confirm the details needed for a fair row in the table below — see the FAQ for how that was decided.
The decision this page is actually about
Before comparing tools, it helps to answer four questions about your own app. They decide more of the outcome than any feature list does.
- Do you need pixel-level control over layout, or is a template close enough?
- Does your app support iPad? If so you need the 13-inch set as well as the iPhone set1 (source 1), and that rules out any tool that only produces iPhone sizes.
- Do you ship to Google Play as well as the App Store? Play’s accepted shapes are not the same as Apple’s2 (source 2), so see Google Play’s shape rule before assuming one export covers both stores.
- Will you maintain this screenshot set across future releases, or is this a one-time export?
The categories below are ordered by how much of the store-specific knowledge the tool carries for you, from none (you do everything) to most (the tool proposes a layout). More automation is not automatically the right choice — it usually trades away control or portability.
How the options compare
| Tool | Category | iPad screenshots | Google Play export | Hosting / account | Pricing as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figma | General design | Not built in — you place any frame yourself, including iPad, using a community template | Not built in — same reasoning applies | Real-time multiplayer editing; unlimited free viewers3 (source 3) | Starter plan free; Professional $16/month per full seat (or $12/month per dev seat); Organization $55/month per seat annual; Enterprise $90/month per seat annual3 (source 3) |
| Sketch | General design | Not built in — same reasoning applies | Not built in — same reasoning applies | Real-time collaboration on subscription tiers4 (source 4) | No permanent free plan (30-day trial); Standard $12/month, Professional $24/month, Enterprise $44/month per editor, billed yearly; one-time Mac-only license $1204 (source 4) |
| AppLaunchpad | Purpose-built | Yes — 12.9-inch and 13-inch iPad frames5 (source 5) | Yes — a dedicated Google Play screenshot generator5 (source 5) | Browser-based with saved projects; the pages checked did not state whether team collaboration is included | Not stated — a paid monthly plan is referenced but no figure was shown on the pages checked |
| AppScreenStudio | Purpose-built | Yes — 13-inch, 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad displays6 (source 6) | Yes — phone, 7-inch and 10-inch tablet sizes for Play Console6 (source 6) | Browser-based; free tier stated as needing no credit card6 (source 6) | Free tier described as “$0 forever” for core tools; optional pay-as-you-go AI credits for translation and background generation, amount not stated6 (source 6) |
| AppMockup | AI-assisted | Yes — iPad 13-inch at 2048 × 2732 px, for one additional credit7 (source 7) | Yes — 1080 × 1920 px with Play-ready device frames7 (source 7) | Account-based with a credit system; existing mockups can be edited later7 (source 7) | Free tier: 3 screenshots; paid packages start at $9 for 25 screenshots; credits do not expire7 (source 7) |
| Shotluma | AI-assisted | No — iPhone sizes only, 1290 × 2796 and 1242 × 2688 | No — both exported sizes exceed Play’s 2:1 shape limit2 (source 2) | No — projects and the AI provider key stay in one browser; clearing site data loses the work; no team features | Free, MIT licensed, no account; you bring your own AI provider key and are billed separately by that provider8 (source 8) |
Pricing goes stale faster than anything else on this page. Treat the figures above as a starting point and re-check the current price on the vendor’s own site before deciding — none of them are contractual, and several were not fully disclosed on the pages checked.
The four approaches in more detail
- General design tools — Figma and Sketch give you a blank canvas and every layout tool, at the cost of building the artboard, the correct pixel size, and the whole set yourself. See doing it in Figma and the accepted size table for the dimensions you would need to enter by hand.
- Purpose-built screenshot tools — AppLaunchpad and AppScreenStudio ship templates that already know the store sizes, including iPad and Google Play, and are hosted rather than run locally.
- AI-assisted tools — AppMockup and Shotluma use a model to propose layout and copy rather than starting from a blank template. AppMockup is hosted and account-based; Shotluma runs entirely in the browser with no account.
- Doing nothing — raw captures — a plain Simulator or device screenshot, undecorated, uploaded as-is. It is free and it is the right answer for some apps; see the next section.
When a raw capture is the right answer
None of the tools above are mandatory. A plain screenshot taken from the iOS Simulator or a physical device, with no template and no added text, is a legitimate submission as long as it lands on an accepted pixel size1 (source 1). Utility apps, developer tools, and anything where the interface itself is the selling point often communicate better this way than through a templated marketing layout.
The one thing a raw capture does not solve is the size mismatch between stores: an iPhone capture still needs to fall inside Apple’s accepted set1 (source 1), and a Google Play submission still needs to clear Play’s shape rule2 (source 2), so check the accepted size table either way.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I trust a comparison written by one of the tools?
You should read it more carefully than a neutral page, not less. The honest position is: every claim about a competitor here is cited to that competitor’s own site with a retrieval date, no product is called better or worse than another, and Shotluma’s real limits — no iPad export, no Play-compatible export, no hosting, no support commitment — are stated in the table rather than left out. If you want a second opinion, the cited sources are the place to check it, not this page’s framing.
Which option makes sense if I ship to both the App Store and Google Play?
You need two exports either way, because Apple’s accepted sizes and Play’s shape rule do not overlap1 (source 1)2 (source 2). AppLaunchpad, AppScreenStudio and AppMockup each publish a dedicated Google Play export alongside their App Store one, which removes one manual step. A general design tool or Shotluma leaves that second export to you.
Do I actually need an iPad screenshot set?
Only if your app runs on iPad and you distribute an iPad build — in which case Apple requires the 13-inch set in addition to the iPhone set1 (source 1). An iPhone-only app has nothing to gain from a tool’s iPad support.
Is it ever fine to just submit an unedited screenshot?
Yes. It is free, requires no tool at all, and is a normal choice for apps where the interface itself is the pitch. The only requirement is that the capture lands on a pixel size the relevant store accepts1 (source 1).
Will the prices in the table still be correct when I read this?
Probably not indefinitely. They were checked on 22 August 2026 directly on each vendor’s site, and several vendors did not disclose a specific figure even then. Re-check the current price on the vendor’s own pricing page before deciding — this page will go stale.
Sources
- 1Screenshot specifications — App Store Connect Help — Apple Developer, iPhone and iPad display size tables. Read .
- 2Add preview assets to showcase your app — Google Play Console Help, screenshot dimension and shape requirements. Read .
- 3Figma pricing — Figma, Starter, Professional, Organization and Enterprise plan details. Read .
- 4Sketch pricing — Sketch, subscription and Mac-only license plan details. Read .
- 5AppLaunchpad — App Store & Google Play screenshot builder — AppLaunchpad, device frame and Google Play generator claims on the homepage. Read .
- 6AppScreenStudio — App Store Screenshot Generator — AppScreenStudio, pricing section and iPad / Google Play export claims on the homepage. Read .
- 7AppMockup — Free App Store & Google Play Screenshot Generator — AppMockup, device size, credit pricing and AI generation claims on the homepage. Read .
- 8Shotluma — Shotluma, export sizes and pricing stated in the app. Read .