Smartwatches are the new norm and people seem to move away from the classic watches and chronographs and towards these smart and much more capable devices. Since smartwatches today function as well as their smartphone counterparts, they should also get themes and customizable watch faces to make things more exciting.
Here is where WatchMaker and Facer app stands useful. These apps have libraries of thousands of watch faces categorized into tastes and trends. You can choose a watch face of your preference or make a new one all by yourself with the designer tools provided by the apps.
So, in this article, we compare these two awesome apps based on different important criteria. Let’s get started.
Supported Platform
Facer App-Supported Platform
Facer is ubiquitous when it comes to availability on different platforms. You can download the Facer app on Google Play Store, iOS App Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, and even on Windows and Mac PC for designing the watch face.
WatchMaker Supported Platform
The watchMaker is a terrific app that is available on all the major platforms like iOS App Store, Google Play Store, and Samsung Galaxy Store. There is no need for a Windows or Mac version as all the functionalities are supported on the Mobile OS platforms.
Verdict: Which one supports multiple platforms better?
As far as the present is concerned, Facer leads by a futile margin but since WatchMaker doesn’t lose any functionality due to the lack of a Windows or Mac app, it is a tie between these two awesome apps.
Collection of Watch Faces
When you are looking into an app for your watch app, the first thing you will want is a huge collection of watch faces. These watch faces should be from different aesthetic categories thus encompassing the need of a wide spectrum of users. With both the apps viz. WatchMaker and the Facer app, you won’t be disappointed.
Facer AppCollection of Watch Faces
Facer app has a huge library of over 200,000 watch faces to meet your expectations and taste. This unbelievable collection is due to 30,000 designers who have designed timeless and authentic designs to make your smart watch look awesome.
Facer has watch faces representing some of our favorite brands that we love and adore. You can get Tetris, NASA, Star Trek Universe, Assassin’s Creed, and many more themed watch faces already available for your use on the Facer App.
WatchMaker Collection of Watch Faces
WatchMaker offers an amazing library of over 100,000 watch faces to suit your style and demand for an exciting watch face.
There are famed collections of watch faces which is a good way of categorizing depending on the general taste and preference of the users. Some of the trending categories are –
● Square Faces
● Themeable Faces
● Interactive Faces
● 3D Faces
● StopWatch Faces, etc
Verdict: Which one has the better Collection of Watches Faces
When it comes to the number of watches in their collection library, Facer App leads by a huge margin. This wasn’t the case earlier as Facer had around 70K Watch faces to show for. But, with rapid development and dedication, Facer has left WatchMaker behind by a big gap. So, Facer Wins !!
Customization of Watch Faces
Apart from the humongous library for watch faces that are offered by both Facer and WatchMaker, they add icing to the cake with the feature where you can create and customize your very own Watch faces.
Facer App Customization of Watch Faces
Facer App doesn’t have a watch face customization feature in mobile-based apps. You will need to use it web-based application called Facer Creator to design your watch face. You will need a Windows or Mac computer to do the design stuff.
Once you get started with the design, the user interface is easy to follow and multiple customization options are starting from the template to adding every piece of minor detail to the watch face.
If you are into graphics designing and love the availability of sophisticated tools, you are going to love this web-based face customization application. I know I loved it!
WatchMaker Customization of Watch Faces
WatchMaker offers users to create their own watch faces right on the app and the user interface is quite simple and intuitive. You will get different options to add to your own watch face. You can add features like animation, ring, moon phase, map, and other exciting features.
To add cherry at the top, if you shell out some dough for WatchMaker Premium Membership, you can get your hands on some of the exclusive design elements to make your watch face stand out.
Verdict: Which offers better Customization of Watch Faces
Both the apps viz. Facer and WatchMaker offer incredible tools to create and customize your own watch face. But, WatchMaker offers it right there on its app which is quite helpful as not everyone has access to a PC all the time. This makes it slightly better in terms of accessibility to the customization feature than Facer.
Running Speed of the Applications
No matter how fancy or capable an app is, the speed of operation is a determining fact when it comes to its usability and the resulting popularity.
Facer App Running Speed of the Applications
According to the reviews posted by users on various app stores, Facer has not shown any signs of slowness or lag. In fact, it runs perfectly and smoothly regardless of the details one is trying to include in their customizable watch face. It has been shown to run at a perfect speed on devices like Moto 360 (second generation).
The Facer app is snappy and there are no major bugs that annoy you. The watch faces offered on the app work seamlessly.
WatchMaker Running Speed of the Applications
Watchmaker apps, especially the premium version are quite slow as per the user reviews. This can be attributed to the fact that the face customization feature is present on the mobile app itself which can be quite heavy for an average mobile or watch processor to process.
Another recurring issue is the buggy and sluggish nature of the premium watch faces which get erroneously locked by themselves from time to time. Though you get the option to replicate the designs of other watch faces for a starting point, the problem is quite persistent.
The presence of a plethora of features in the WatchMaker app makes it less reliable and more exhausting to use. Even the most stunning and aesthetically pleasing watch faces like Alpina dials and the Blancpain bathyscape dials have exhibited bugs.
Verdict: Which one offers better Running Speed for the Applications?
Facer is a straight winner here! I think they have done a smart job of keeping the customization feature on a different platform where you can get the processing power of a PC. On the other hand, WatchMaker, in an attempt to include everything in a single package has not been able to fully optimize the speed of its apps. They will figure it out eventually but for now, Facer is in the lead without a doubt.
Battery Consumption
Remember those animated 3D wallpapers that came out for our smartwatches and we were excited to use them? They were great and offered something refreshing to the eyes. But they had one inherent problem which was hard to ignore. They were battery zombies. Those fancy waves and waterfalls would drain your battery faster than you imagine.
The same situation persists with many apps nowadays. So, it is important to be informed about the impact of your watch face app on your watch’s battery.
Facer App Battery Consumption
Facer app users have complained that no matter what watch face you use, the battery drops about 10 percent every hour which is outrageous. You will end up hooking your smartwatch to its charging point multiple times a day which defeats the whole point of owning a smartwatch.
WatchMaker Battery Consumption
With WatchMaker the issue is not as severe as that with Facer. Nevertheless, the problem is still a major concern. With most of the watch faces from the WatchMaker, the battery drops to 35 to 40 percent at the end of the day after a full charge.
With some battery eater watch faces, the condition is much worse as the battery bar drops to 10 percent at the end of the day. There are few saints among the zombies that consume as much as 45 percent of the battery throughout the day.
Verdict: which one has better Battery performance
Both apps need serious optimization in terms of battery consumption. I mean, smartwatches (apart from Apple Watch Series) are meant to last for days if not weeks. And just because you like to use a fancy custom watch face, you should not need to pay such a huge price for your battery life. This is not acceptable and both apps need to make serious changes regarding how watch faces consume power.
Cost
Cost is another deciding factor when it comes to comparing these two watches. Let’s see how much will they hurt your wallet. If you don’t like to pay for the premium stuff, you can try the free watch faces offered by Facer. With WatchMaker, you don’t get free watch faces to try on.
Facer App Cost
The monthly subscription of the Facer app will cost you $4.99 and the yearly or annual subscription will cost you $39.99.
WatchMaker Cost
- WatchMaker VIP subscription – monthly – $3.99, annually $29.99
- WatchMaker Premium – $ 5.99 per month
- WatchMaker Unlimited – $49.99 per year
Verdict: which one is Cost-effective
Both apps cost around the same. It is up to you to decide whether you can afford such luxury or not. Facer does come with a perk. Since it is built by a community, if a designer offers a watch face for free, the users can have it. There is some really cool watch faces available for free on Facer.
User Experience (Ratings and Reviews)
Reviews and ratings are direct and a more unbiased way to determine whether a product or an app is good or bad. When you go online to buy something, be it a gadget or an app, you scan through the reviews first for information. The ratings will give you a sense of how good an app is doing or a product is fairing at a glance.
Facer App User Experience (Ratings and Reviews)
Facer has a rating of 4.7 on iOS or Apple App Store with 23.5 thousand ratings. It has a rating of 4.2 with 94 thousand plus ratings on the Google Play Store. The Samsung Galaxy Store has a 4 stars rating.
WatchMaker User Experience (Ratings and Reviews)
WatchMaker has a 3.8 stars rating from around 14 thousand users on iOS App Store. On the Google Play Store, it has an overall rating of 3.7 stars from around 65 thousand users. It has a total rating of 3.5 on the Samsung Galaxy Store.
According to an article from December 2021, Facer was not this good as it looks now. It was fairing poorly on the iOS platforms. But, with persistence and hard work, Facer has left behind WatchMaker by a huge difference. The user ratings and reviews on the various app marketplaces say it all.
Things users like about Facer
- Tons of free watch face without spending a single penny
- Smooth UI and intuitive design platform
- Speed and fewer bugs
- Cheaper than WatchMaker
- Community driven
Things Users do not like about Facer
- Insane battery drainage
- Watch face customization is not available on the app itself
Things Users like about WatchMaker
- A complete package on a single app
- Easy to use and follow interface
- Elegant designs
Things Users do not like about WatchMaker
- No free watch faces to try and test
- Buggy and slow application
- Exclusive kinds of stuff come at a hefty price
- Battery drainage
We conclude the comprehensive comparison of two great watch face apps here. To summarize, Facer has been constantly building on its mistakes and delivering on its promises. It has improved quite a lot over the past few months and the users seem to love it.
WatchMaker on the other side is still incredible but too slow in the development section. The optimization it needs should be quick and prompt before it starts losing more of its loyal users. The watch face collections are still great. If they could just include the feedback of the users and provide some free watch faces to try on initially, they would carve a new path toward success.
