Backdrops vs Palace

Backdrops is a wallpaper app with curated collections and new wallpapers added regularly. Its team creates original designs for Android devices, including exclusive artwork available in the app. Users can submit wallpapers, artwork, or photos for review and possible placement in the Community section. Wall of the Day highlights a newly created design or a selected favorite. Google sign-in can sync favorites across devices, and favorites can be paired with Muzei to rotate on a chosen schedule. The app is available for Android, iOS, and macOS. The free plan costs nothing and includes ads, with in-app purchases available. Backdrops Pro costs $4.99, paid once and removes ads, permits saving Explore wallpapers, and includes a Pro Pack of exclusive backgrounds and future Pro features. The terms say purchases are non-refundable and limit sharing Backdrops-owned Explore wallpapers outside the app; saved copies are for personal use. The Google Play listing warns that regular use may consume substantial data and that carrier or internet charges may apply.

Palace is a personal media manager and wallpaper engine for organizing and displaying wallpapers and other media. You can sort items into categories, albums, and favorites, then search by name or tag. Display choices include fill, fit, center, tile, stretch, or spanning multiple monitors, with adjustable background colors and effects. Automatic rotation can run sequentially or in shuffle mode, at intervals from five seconds to several hours, and can target individual displays. Palace supports GIFs, video files such as MP4 and WebM, GLSL shaders, and locally stored images; desktop video wallpapers require MPV. Online sources use public JSON files and must provide direct public media URLs, not private or password-protected files. Local media works offline, and ordinary use does not require an account. Palace says wallpapers, preferences, and settings stay on the device and personal images are not uploaded or accessed. The web hub supports browsing community sources, downloading wallpapers, and submitting source URLs. A Palace lifetime license costs $4 as a one-time purchase; Google Play costs $7.99, paid once for Android only.