6 Face Filter Apps You Need to Try in 2026
If you look at social media today, posting without filters is almost unheard of. They’ve been around for years, they are here to stay so it is smart to embrace them, and if you’re worried about the filter looking tacky or fake, or have trouble navigating best filter app for selfies that have paywalls, here are 8 face filter apps that you can trust to give you a “you but better” look without the cost.
Download on App Store
Get It on Google PlayHow We Tested
While accounting for the best filter apps, we considered several factors that a user would genuinely care about. First was the variety of filters available, whether aesthetic, funny, minimalistic, cinematic, or more dramatic styles. A strong video face filter app should offer a wide range of filters for face enhancements that work across both photos and videos without feeling repetitive.
Next, we evaluated how naturally the filters integrate into photos and videos. Good filters are not just overlays. They should blend well with lighting, skin tones, and facial movement so the result does not look artificial or overly edited.
We also considered ease of use, customization options, and how adjustable the filter intensity is. Performance speed, pricing, platform availability, and privacy practices were equally important, since these directly impact how practical the app is for everyday use.
Comparison Table
| App | Platforms | Focus On |
| BeautyPlus | iOS, Android | Natural beauty filters, AR effects, cartoon and artistic filters, skin enhancement |
| FaceApp | iOS, Android | AI-powered face transformations like expressions, smiles, age changes, hair/eye edits, realistic facial adjustments |
| Snapchat | iOS, Android | Real-time AR filters, trending lenses, face animations, social sharing |
| Facetune | iOS, Android | Stylized beauty filters, makeup effects, face and body tweaks, themed color filters with intensity control |
| YouCam Video | iOS, Android | Real-time makeup filters for video, skin smoothing, beauty adjustments |
| Funny Face Filters Live Camera | Android only | Face filters are the ones that make people laugh |
Best Face Filter Apps
Filter hunting is difficult as it is given that there are millions out there, but to help you narrow down your search, if you’re on the lookout for natural-looking, fun, fresh, and free face filters, here are 6 face filter apps to look into in 2026.
1. BeautyPlus
BeautyPlus is an all-in-one beauty enhancement app. It uses AI, which is one of the main reasons it feels so easy to use and navigate. When editing tools are AI-driven, the results tend to be consistent, and BeautyPlus delivers edits that look smooth, balanced, and often unnoticeable. Even stronger adjustments blend well without obvious distortion.
While it comes with a wide range of AI editing tools, if you’re focused specifically on face filters, the app offers an impressive library of natural-finish options. Beyond simple color aesthetics, you also get fun filters, themed effects, stickers, and creative elements that let you add your own personalized touch. It even supports prompt-based editing, which expands what you can achieve far beyond standard presets.
Another strength is that BeautyPlus consistently keeps up with trends. New effects and styles are regularly introduced, often keeping up with what’s popular on social media. In some cases, you might even find yourself setting the trend rather than following it.
Platforms
Features
- Cartoon filters to transform your face into animated characters
- Sketch and drawing filters for artistic portraits
- AR filters and effects, like virtual hats, glasses, or animations
- Fun themed filters for seasonal or trendy looks
2. Faceapp
Facetune is an incredibly easy app to get used to. There’s a lot you can do inside it, and it keeps up with current AI trends, so if you’re mainly there for AI-powered filters and viral effects, you’re covered. It constantly updates with popular styles that align with what’s trending on social media.
It is a paid tool, but it offers a polished experience. When you head over to the Filters section, you’ll find more color-based presets organized into nine different themes. Each theme contains around five filters, and you can adjust the intensity of each one using a slider, which gives you control over how subtle or dramatic the final look appears.
Platforms
Features
- Smile and expression changes
- Age filters (younger or older look)
- Hair style and hair color changes
- Makeup enhancement filters
- Skin smoothing and refinement
- Jawline and facial feature adjustments
- Gender swap effects
3. Snapchat
Facetune is another photo editing app that integrates AI into most of its tools. You can add makeup, change hair color, adjust eye color, refine skin, and make other common beauty edits with just a few taps. The interface is simple, and most features are slider-based, so it does not take long to figure out.
When you move to the Filters section, you’ll find around ten major themes to choose from. Each theme includes multiple filter variations that set the tone of the image. The results are often bold and noticeable, which seems intentional. If you select a vintage theme, for example, the effect leans fully into that aesthetic rather than just applying a basic black-and-white overlay.
Platforms
Features
- Makeup application and enhancement tools
- Hair color change
- Eye and facial feature adjustments
- Themed filter collections
- Face and body reshaping tools
4. Facetune
Facetune is another photo editing app that integrates AI into most of its tools. You can add makeup, change hair color, adjust eye color, refine skin, and make other common beauty edits with just a few taps. The interface is simple, and most features are slider-based, so it does not take long to figure out.
When you move to the Filters section, you’ll find around ten major themes to choose from. Each theme includes multiple filter variations that set the tone of the image. The results are often bold and noticeable, which seems intentional. If you select a vintage theme, for example, the effect leans fully into that aesthetic rather than just applying a basic black-and-white overlay.
Platform
Features
- Makeup application and enhancement tools
- Hair color change
- Eye and facial feature adjustments
- Themed filter collections
- Face and body reshaping tools
5. YouCam Video
YouCam Video specializes in real-time makeup application for videos. It allows you to adjust lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, contour, highlight, and more, all while recording. The filters are designed to blend naturally with facial movements, so the results appear smooth rather than overly edited.
If you’re an influencer who primarily sits in front of the camera and talks, and maintaining a polished appearance is part of your content style, YouCam Video can be especially useful. Its makeup filters are crafted to look clean and undetectable, helping you appear refined without applying actual makeup. It gives you the flexibility to experiment with different looks instantly while keeping your videos professional and consistent.
Platforms
Features
- Real-time makeup application in videos
- Customizable lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, and more
- Skin smoothing
6. Funny Face Filters Live Camera
Funny Face Filters Live Camera is exactly what the name suggests. It is a lighthearted, friendly app built purely for fun. Filters are not always about beauty or perfection, and some of the most popular face filters are the ones that make people laugh. This app focuses entirely on that side of editing.
It has a wide variety of comedic effects, from exaggerated distortions to cartoon-style transformations. The app is lightweight and works smoothly with the live camera, allowing you to apply effects in real time. It is designed for quick entertainment rather than polished edits, making it ideal for playful selfies and spontaneous videos.
Platforms
Android only
Features
- Cartoon and comic effects
- Distortion filters for comedic selfies
- Stickers and emojis overlay
How to Use a Face Filter With BeautyPlus?
Your choice of filters depends on the result you’re going for and with apps like BeautyPlus, you can have them all in one place. Here is how you can use the BeautyPlus app for face retouching, for makeup filters, and for AR effects.
Face Retouch
This is how you use the BeautyPlus face retouch feature to eliminate any flaws in your photos.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Download the BeautyPlus app and open it.
2. Tap on “Start Editing.”
3. Next, upload your photo, and make sure the one you pick is clear.
4. From the scrollable toolbar at the bottom, you’ll see several options; tap “Portrait”.
5. Choose “Retouch,” which is there to help you fix flaws by smoothing them out. You can choose different filters like classic, daily, lovely, etc.
6. Once you’re happy with the post, just tap on “Save” on the top right to download it onto your device.
Makeup Filters
This is how you use the BeautyPlus makeup filter feature to try on different makeup products using just filters.
Step-by-step guide
1. Assuming you’ve already downloaded the BeautyPlus app, go ahead and open it and tap “Start Editing”.
2. Once again, you’re working with a selfie or a portrait photo, so tap “Portrait”.
3. This time, you have to choose “Makeup”.
4. From there, you can explore different makeup styles for different parts of your face, like your eyebrows, cheeks, lips, etc.
5. Once you’re happy with the post, just tap on “Save” on the top right to download it onto your device.
Before and after
AR Effects
This is how you try out different augmented reality effects using BeautyPlus.
Step-by-Step guide
1. Once again, if you’ve already downloaded the BeautyPlus app, open it and tap “Start Editing”.
2. Next, from the tools at the bottom of your screen, navigate and tap on “Edit”.
3. Under the edit tools, you’ll find one labelled “AR Effect”, go ahead and tap it.
4. From the variety of effects, you can choose some interesting ones.
5. Once you’re happy with the post, just tap on “Save” on the top right to download it onto your device.
Before and after
A Gentle Reminder
Remember, face filters are meant to be a space for creativity and fun. Their purpose is not to make you feel inadequate or push you to compare yourself in unhealthy ways. They are artistic tools that help set moods, themes, and aesthetics for images.
If you ever feel that using filters starts to affect your self-esteem or body image negatively, it is important to take a step back and stop using them. No app or effect should influence how you value yourself.
Filters are just for fun. You are not meant to measure yourself against them.
Bottom Line
Face filter apps have changed the social media game forever. With the right tools and the right skills, you can transform anything about your appearance, whether that’s overlaying your face onto the face of a famous movie star or just having fun with augmented reality. There is an app for everything, and all you have to do is pick the right one for you, and if you can’t decide on one, then BeautyPlus covers it all in a single, easy-to-use package.
FAQs
For beauty edits, BeautyPlus reigns supreme, and for some social fun you might want to try out Snapchat. Both of them are versatile and have an extensive filter library.
If you’re going for beautification, a slight natural retouch filter is recommended, but you can be as experimental as you want to be for more intense filters.
For most apps, yes, you can adjust the filter intensity to keep things subtle, but for certain apps like Snapchat, you cannot.
For most apps out there, yes, they keep their features like face filters free of charge, but a lot of them can have a premium or a paywall that hides more exciting features.
