--- title: "Mac Wallpaper Apps Compared: Prices and Platforms" description: "15 Mac wallpaper apps and tools side by side: developer, exact US price, price model and platforms, each with a dated source, plus our comparisons." canonical: "https://macwall.app/compare" updated: "2026-10-27" keywords: - "mac wallpaper app" - "wallpaper app mac" - "macbook wallpaper app" - "mac live wallpaper app" - "live wallpaper app mac comparison" - "mac wallpaper apps compared" --- # Mac wallpaper apps compared 15 Mac wallpaper apps and tools side by side: developer, exact US price, price model and platforms, each with a dated source, plus our comparisons. **This table lists 15 wallpaper apps and tools that people use or search for on a Mac, with each one's developer, price model, exact US price and platforms, read from the developer's page, the Mac App Store or Steam on 27 October 2026.** Two of them, Wallpaper Engine and Lively Wallpaper, do not run on macOS. The Mac apps need anything from macOS 12 to macOS 26.4. The MacWall team wrote this page, so every row has a source and our comparison pages say where another app is the better fit. ## All apps at a glance | App | Developer | Price model (US) | Platforms | Details | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **MacWall** | OG APPS, LLC | $12.99 one-time for 3 Macs (India $4.99); 5 Macs $19.99; 24-hour free trial | macOS 15+ (Apple silicon and Intel); Lock Screen video on macOS 26+ | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/best-live-wallpaper-mac) | | Backdrop | Cindori AB | Free tier (3 watermarked wallpapers); $1.99/month, $14.99/year or $29.99 lifetime | macOS 15+ | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/macwall-vs-backdrop) | | Wallspace | Tangent Labs LLP | Free; Pro $12.99 one-time | macOS 15+ (Lock Screen needs macOS 26) | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/macwall-vs-wallspace) | | Wallper | Sandimax LLC | One-time license from $14.99; 7-day free trial | macOS 14.6+ (Intel and Apple silicon) | [Developer site](https://www.wallper.app/) | | Wallux | Not stated | Has a free plan | macOS 15+ (Lock Screen needs macOS 26) | [Developer site](https://wallux.app/) | | Hanami - 6000+ Live Wallpapers | 豪 文 (WHBALZAC Inc) | Free with in-app purchases: $0.99/week, $1.99/month, $4.99 for 6 months, $7.99/year; lifetime upgrade $3.99 or $4.99 | macOS 13+ | [Mac App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hanami-live-wallpaper/id1456235760?mt=12) | | 4K Live Wallpaper | Hao Wen | Free with in-app purchases: $1.99/month, $8.99 for 6 months, $12.99/year, $29.99 lifetime | macOS 13+ | [Mac App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/4k-live-wallpaper/id1469182113) | | Paper - 4k Live Wallpapers | 凌云 张 | $7.99 upfront | macOS 12+ | [Mac App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paper-4k-live-wallpapers/id1515245310?mt=12) | | Dynamic Wallpaper Studio | Aesthetic Apps & Widgets srl | Free with in-app purchases: $2.99/week or $29.99/year | macOS 12+ | [Mac App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dynamic-wallpaper-studio/id1453504509?mt=12) | | Wallnetic: Live Wallpaper 4K | TSQUARE BILISIM REKLAM SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI | Free; no in-app purchases listed | macOS 13+ | [Mac App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wallnetic-live-wallpaper-4k/id6760347328?mt=12) | | 24 Hour Wallpaper | Jetson Creative LLC | Free with in-app purchases: all wallpapers $29.99 or $69.99 lifetime, single wallpapers $2.49; 14-day free trial | macOS 15+ | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/24-hour-wallpaper) | | Plash | Sindre Sorhus | Free; no in-app purchases listed | macOS 26.4+ (App Store version) | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/plash) | | Dynamic Wallpaper Club | Not named on the site | Free website (ads and donations) | Web; makes macOS dynamic wallpapers | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/dynamic-wallpaper-club) | | Wallpaper Engine | Wallpaper Engine Team | $4.99 one-time on Steam | Windows 10 and 11 only; Android companion. No Mac version | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/wallpaper-engine) | | Lively Wallpaper | rocksdanister (GitHub repository) | Free, open source (GPL-3.0) | Windows 10 only. No Mac version | [Our comparison](https://macwall.app/alternatives/lively-wallpaper-mac) | US prices as listed on 27 October 2026 on each developer's site, the US Mac App Store or Steam; some sites show local prices by region. Every source is listed below. ## How to choose - **Pay once for a video catalog**: MacWall, Wallspace Pro, Wallper or Paper. - **Use it free for as long as you like**: Wallspace, Wallnetic, or Backdrop's watermarked free tier. - **Older macOS**: Paper and Dynamic Wallpaper Studio list macOS 12; Hanami, 4K Live Wallpaper and Wallnetic list macOS 13. - **A website as wallpaper**: Plash. - **A wallpaper that follows the time of day**: 24 Hour Wallpaper, Dynamic Wallpaper Club, or Apple's built-in dynamic wallpapers. - **Coming from Windows**: Wallpaper Engine and Lively have no Mac version, so pick one of the Mac apps. ## Our comparison pages - [Live Wallpaper Apps for Mac, Compared](https://macwall.app/best-live-wallpaper-mac): MacWall, Backdrop, Wallspace, Wallper, Hanami and five more Mac live wallpaper apps compared on price, macOS version and Lock Screen, with sources. - [Wallpaper Engine for Mac: What Actually Works](https://macwall.app/alternatives/wallpaper-engine): Wallpaper Engine is Windows only, per its Steam page. Here is what runs on a Mac instead, with prices and macOS versions from dated sources. - [MacWall vs Backdrop](https://macwall.app/alternatives/macwall-vs-backdrop): MacWall vs Backdrop by Cindori: prices, free tier, Lock Screen, library and requirements compared with dated sources, and when Backdrop fits better. - [MacWall vs Wallspace](https://macwall.app/alternatives/macwall-vs-wallspace): MacWall vs Wallspace: free tier, one-time Pro price, Lock Screen, library and requirements compared with dated sources, and when Wallspace fits better. - [Lively Wallpaper for Mac](https://macwall.app/alternatives/lively-wallpaper-mac): Lively Wallpaper is Windows only, per its GitHub README. Here is what runs on a Mac instead, free and paid, with prices from dated sources. - [24 Hour Wallpaper vs MacWall](https://macwall.app/alternatives/24-hour-wallpaper): 24 Hour Wallpaper changes with the time of day; MacWall plays looping video. Prices, macOS needs and features compared, with dated sources. - [Plash vs MacWall](https://macwall.app/alternatives/plash): Plash makes a website your Mac wallpaper for free; MacWall plays looping video. Requirements, price and features compared with dated sources. - [Dynamic Wallpaper Club vs MacWall](https://macwall.app/alternatives/dynamic-wallpaper-club): Dynamic Wallpaper Club is a free site for macOS dynamic wallpapers; MacWall is a paid video wallpaper app. How they differ, with dated sources. ## Sources - [Backdrop by Cindori](https://cindori.com/backdrop), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Wallspace](https://wallspace.app/), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Wallper](https://www.wallper.app/), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Wallux](https://wallux.app/), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Hanami on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hanami-live-wallpaper/id1456235760?mt=12), accessed 27 October 2026 - [4K Live Wallpaper on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/4k-live-wallpaper/id1469182113), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Paper on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paper-4k-live-wallpapers/id1515245310?mt=12), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Dynamic Wallpaper Studio on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dynamic-wallpaper-studio/id1453504509?mt=12), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Wallnetic on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wallnetic-live-wallpaper-4k/id6760347328?mt=12), accessed 27 October 2026 - [24 Hour Wallpaper on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/24-hour-wallpaper/id1226087575?mt=12), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Plash on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plash/id1494023538), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Dynamic Wallpaper Club](https://dynamicwallpaper.club/), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Wallpaper Engine on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/431960/Wallpaper_Engine/?cc=us), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Lively Wallpaper on GitHub](https://github.com/rocksdanister/lively), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Plash by Sindre Sorhus](https://sindresorhus.com/plash), accessed 27 October 2026 - [Wallpaper Engine official site](https://www.wallpaperengine.io/en), accessed 27 October 2026 MacWall's own prices and requirements come from our [pricing](https://macwall.app/pricing) and [download](https://macwall.app/download) pages. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best wallpaper app for Mac? It depends on your macOS version, budget and what you want on screen. For video wallpapers with a one-time price, MacWall, Wallspace Pro and Wallper are options; for free use, Wallspace, Wallnetic or Backdrop's free tier; for a website, Plash; for time-of-day wallpapers, 24 Hour Wallpaper or Dynamic Wallpaper Club. ### Which Mac wallpaper apps are free? Wallspace, Wallnetic and Plash are free, and Dynamic Wallpaper Club is a free website. Backdrop, Hanami, 4K Live Wallpaper, Dynamic Wallpaper Studio and 24 Hour Wallpaper are free to download with paid upgrades. MacWall is free for 24 hours, then needs a one-time license. ### Do Wallpaper Engine or Lively Wallpaper run on Mac? No. Wallpaper Engine's Steam page lists Windows 10 and 11 only, and Lively Wallpaper's README describes a Windows app. Use a native Mac app instead. ### Which apps work on older versions of macOS? Paper and Dynamic Wallpaper Studio list macOS 12; Hanami, 4K Live Wallpaper and Wallnetic list macOS 13; Wallper lists macOS 14.6. MacWall, Backdrop, Wallspace, Wallux and 24 Hour Wallpaper need macOS 15, and the current Plash needs macOS 26.4. ### How were these prices checked? We read each developer's page, Mac App Store listing or Steam page on 27 October 2026, using US prices. Prices change and some stores show local prices, so follow the source link before you buy. --- Source: https://macwall.app/compare