SCREEN ScreenLux vs Vellum: Which Wallpaper App Fits You?
Vellum and ScreenLux are both curated, and that is where the overlap ends. Vellum is a hand-picked photography and abstract catalog for iPhone: hundreds of wallpapers free in the app, a new limited wallpaper each day, a blur tool, and a one-time Premium purchase. ScreenLux is 470+ original wallpapers, 91 of them live, every file 1080 × 2400, on iPhone and Android, with no ads or account and all downloads behind ScreenLux+. Want photography with hundreds of free picks: Vellum. Want live wallpapers, an Android app, or art beyond photography: ScreenLux, which we make.
We make ScreenLux. Vellum details come from its App Store listing (Vellum Wallpapers by Merek Davis Com, LLC, 4.8 stars from 55,000+ ratings on September 24, 2026, current version 1.7.0 from August 2021) and are otherwise general; the listing quotes no Premium price, so neither do we. Vellum wins three rows below.
ScreenLux vs Vellum, side by side
The highlighted cell wins the row; the last column says why.
| Criteria | ScreenLux | Vellum | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog focus | 470+ original stills and 91 live loops across 25 categories, anime-style to scenic | Hand-picked photography and in-house abstract stills; a new limited wallpaper each day | Vellum for photography |
| Live wallpapers | 91 original loops; a Live Photo on iPhone, a video loop on Android | None; stills only, per its listing | ScreenLux |
| iPhone motion | Live Photo on the Lock Screen; animates on wake | Not offered | ScreenLux |
| Android live wallpaper | Real live wallpaper service: video loop on the Home Screen, still on the Lock Screen; rolling out on Android 8+ | No Android app; its listing describes wallpapers 'for the iPhone' | ScreenLux |
| Resolution | Every file 1080 × 2400 (9:20); no crop on current phones | Sized for iPhone; exact size not stated. Current version dates from August 2021 | ScreenLux |
| Ads | None | None mentioned in its listing | Tie |
| Account | None | None | Tie |
| Price model | Free to browse and preview; downloads need ScreenLux+: $19.99 lifetime, $14.99/yr (7-day trial) or $1.99/wk (3-day trial) | Hundreds of wallpapers free in the app; Vellum Premium is a one-time purchase (price not stated) for the last four weeks of daily wallpapers | Vellum |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 17+) and iPad; Android 8+ rolling out | iPhone only, iOS 12 or later, so it runs on much older iPhones | Depends: Android or old iPhones |
| App Store rating | New in September 2026; too few ratings to show | 4.8 from 55,000+ ratings | Vellum |
Ratings are from the US App Store on September 24, 2026 and move daily. ScreenLux launched on September 22, 2026.
Where Vellum is the better choice
Photographs, and price. Vellum's listing describes images sorted from thousands and made in-house, hundreds of them included free, new packs arriving regularly, and one new limited wallpaper every day. A built-in blur tool turns any wallpaper into a soft gradient for the Home Screen. Premium is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, and the app runs on iPhones back to iOS 12. Its 4.8 rating from 55,000+ people is a track record ScreenLux, two days old, cannot claim. If you want a photograph and want to pay little or nothing, Vellum is the better fit.
Where ScreenLux is the better choice
Motion, Android, and range. ScreenLux has 91 live wallpapers, delivered as Live Photos on the iPhone Lock Screen and as a real live wallpaper service on Android; Vellum has none. ScreenLux runs on Android 8 and later, where the app is rolling out; Vellum is iPhone only. The catalog spans 25 categories of original art, from anime-style portraits and 3D blocks to wildlife such as Barn Owl Gaze and Arctic Fox Cub, every piece composed at 1080 × 2400 so the clock has room, and new collections land regularly. No ads, no account; ScreenLux+ unlocks downloads, with a lifetime option.
Which should you choose?
Choose Vellum for hand-picked photography, a free selection, a one-time price, or an older iPhone. Choose ScreenLux for live wallpapers, Android, or illustrated and rendered art that fits without a crop. They coexist happily on one iPhone. For the wider field, read the best wallpaper apps for iPhone, or see the other ScreenLux comparisons.
Four live wallpapers from the catalog; more at live wallpapers.
Is Vellum still updated, and does it matter for a wallpaper app?
As of our last check, Vellum’s current App Store version is 1.7.0, released in August 2021, with a minimum of iOS 12. For a still-wallpaper app that matters less than it sounds: a good photograph from 2021 is still a good photograph, and iOS applies Depth Effect and the adaptive Lock Screen clock to any suitable image regardless of which app supplied it. It matters more if you want what arrived later, such as Live Photo loops made for the Lock Screen or an Android version. Vellum has neither.
Does Vellum have live wallpapers for the iPhone Lock Screen?
No. Vellum’s listing describes hand-picked stills, a daily wallpaper and a blur tool; it does not mention Live Photos or motion of any kind. ScreenLux has 91 live wallpapers, each a Live Photo that animates when you wake the iPhone, plus a still version so the Home Screen stays calm. If the Lock Screen is where you want motion, that is the clearest reason to choose ScreenLux over Vellum. If you never wanted motion, the gap disappears and the choice comes down to taste.
Watch the loops at live wallpapers; the iPhone rules are covered in the best live wallpaper apps.
Which is better for photography wallpapers, Vellum or ScreenLux?
Vellum. Its whole catalog is hand-picked photography and abstract stills, sorted from thousands of images and supplemented with pieces made in-house, and hundreds of them are free. ScreenLux is mostly illustrated, rendered and stylized work: anime-style portraits, 3D blocks, deep-sea creatures, cars and gradients, with scenic and nature pieces such as Mountain Aurora Reflection and Pink Hue Sunset alongside. If you want something that looks like it came out of a camera, Vellum is the better fit, and we would say so to a friend.
Does Vellum work on Android?
No. Vellum’s App Store listing describes wallpapers made for the iPhone, and there is no Android version as of our last check. ScreenLux runs on iPhone with iOS 17 or later and on Android 8 or later, where the app is rolling out; on Android it installs a real live wallpaper service with a muted video loop on the Home Screen and a matching still on the Lock Screen. If you move between platforms, or a household shares one catalog across both, that is a practical difference.
The Android service is described at Android wallpapers.
Which is cheaper over time, Vellum Premium or ScreenLux+?
Vellum, in most cases. Hundreds of its wallpapers are free inside the app, and Vellum Premium is a single one-time purchase that unlocks the last four weeks of daily wallpapers; its listing does not quote the price, so confirm it in the App Store. ScreenLux gives away previews and nothing else: every download needs ScreenLux+, at $19.99 once, $14.99 a year with a 7-day trial, or $1.99 a week with a 3-day trial. If a handful of free photographs would do, Vellum costs nothing at all.
Wallpapers made for the phone
470+ original live and still wallpapers composed at 1080 × 2400. Free to preview every one; ScreenLux+ unlocks downloads. No ads, no account.
Get ScreenLux FreeFree to download · No account required · iOS 17+ · Android 8+