Comparison · checked 25 September 2026
glyf vs ASCII Magic
Both are browser-based studios that turn photos and video into ASCII and pattern art without uploading anything. The differences are in pricing, export formats and what each includes for free.
Side by side
| Feature | glyf | ASCII Magic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — every feature, no account, no watermark | Free plan; Pro is $8/month (lower founding prices on quarterly and yearly plans) and unlocks more effects, 4K export and AI renders |
| Account | Not needed | Not needed for the free plan |
| Privacy | In the browser; nothing is uploaded | In the browser; nothing is uploaded |
| Styles | 25 styles: characters, braille, dither, pixel art, voxel, mosaic, contour and more | Character ramps plus dither, halftone, pixel art, mosaic, LEGO, voxel and more |
| Effects | 9 stackable effects, plus 22 shaders and 8 animated gradients as sources | 100+ effects and shaders on Pro |
| Image input | Any image your browser can open, up to 40 MB | PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, AVIF (HEIC in Safari); paste from clipboard |
| Video input | Yes — MP4, WebM (and MOV in Safari), up to 50 MB and 1920×1080 | MP4, MOV, WebM or GIF |
| Still exports | Plain text, PNG, JPEG, WebP (up to 3×) and SVG | Text and PNG; 4K on Pro |
| Animated exports | GIF, MP4 and WebM, up to 1080p and 60 fps | MP4 or GIF; 4K on Pro |
| Vector (SVG) export | Yes | Not listed |
| AI generation | No | Generative AI renders (credits; 10 a month on Pro) |
Where ASCII Magic is stronger
- A much larger effect and shader library on Pro (100+).
- 4K image and video export on Pro; glyf's animations top out at 1080p.
- Generative AI renders, and styles glyf doesn't have, such as LEGO.
- Clipboard paste and more input formats (AVIF, HEIC in Safari, animated GIF).
Where glyf is stronger
- Everything is free — no plan to upgrade to, no feature behind a paywall.
- SVG export: one vector shape per cell, for print, plotters and infinite scaling.
- WebM export and 60 fps animation.
- 25 styles in one studio, with masks, lights, a tone curve and custom character ramps.
Which should you use?
Choose ASCII Magic if you want the biggest effect library, 4K output or AI generation and don't mind paying for Pro. Choose glyf if you want every feature free, need SVG or WebM, or want fine control through masks, lights and the tone curve.
Details about ASCII Magic come from its public pages as of 25 September 2026 and may have changed since: ASCII Magic pricing, ASCII Magic image to ASCII, ASCII Magic video to ASCII. Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email irojabkhan@gmail.com and it will be corrected.
glyf isn't affiliated with, or endorsed by, ASCII Magic. Product names belong to their respective owners.