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Backdrop vs Wallper: which video wallpaper app?
Backdrop and Wallper are the two best-known video wallpaper apps for Mac. Choose Backdrop for the bigger community library and a trial with no time limit. Choose Wallper for a one-time $14.99 that covers three Macs, macOS 14.6 support and schedules that follow the sun. If you’d rather not keep a video library at all, MacScapes draws its scenes live and has a free version.
By Chris at Neon FrenchieUpdated
Backdrop and Wallper at a glance
| Backdrop | Wallper | |
|---|---|---|
| Own it outright | $29.99 | $14.99 for 3 Macs, $24.99 for 5 |
| Subscription | $1.99 a month or $14.99 a year | None |
| Before you pay | No time limit, up to 3 watermarked backdrops | 7 days, then the app locks |
| Needs | macOS 15 | macOS 14.6, or 26 for the Lock Screen |
| Library | Thousands, from its community | 2,900+ in 4K |
| Follows sunrise and sunset | Not listed | Yes, since 1.12.0 |
| Languages | 20+ | 9 |
Where Backdrop wins
- The community. Thousands of wallpapers made and shared by its users, in curated collections, plus a Creator for your own clips.
- The trial. It never expires. You can keep up to three backdrops, with a watermark.
- The Lock Screen, sooner. Backdrop has played video on the Lock Screen since version 2.0 (September 2025) and lists no newer macOS for it. Wallper needs macOS 26.
- Languages. More than 20, following your Mac’s language.
Where Wallper wins
- Price. $14.99 once covers three Macs. Backdrop’s lifetime license is $29.99.
- Older Macs. It runs on macOS 14.6. Backdrop needs macOS 15.
- Schedules. Day and night, light and dark, or set times, and since 1.12.0 day and night can follow sunrise and sunset.
- Extras. Music sync with Spotify and Apple Music, and light sync with Philips Hue and WLED.
- Size and services. A 25 MB app against Backdrop’s 99 MB, and no third-party analytics in the download we opened.
Every feature, side by side
| Backdrop | Wallper | MacScapes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 a month, $14.99 a year or $29.99 once | $14.99 once for 3 Macs (Pro), $24.99 for 5 Macs (Pro+) | Free. Pro is $1.99 a month, $12.99 a year or $19.99 once |
| Without paying | Trial with no time limit, up to 3 backdrops with a watermark | 7-day trial, then the app locks until you buy | Free version with no time limit: 7 scenes, 11 palettes, 3 widgets, 2 schedule rules. The yearly plan starts with a 1-week trial |
| Where to get it | Direct download (not on the Mac App Store) | Direct download (not on the Mac App Store) | Mac App Store or direct download |
| Requires | macOS 15 or later | macOS 14.6 or later. Lock Screen needs macOS 26 | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| Latest version | 2.8.0, Oct 6, 2026 | 1.12.1, Sep 30, 2026 | 1.0, October 2026 |
| Scenes drawn live | No. Cindori describes it as video-only | No. The library is video | Yes: 42 scenes and 48 palettes, plus 9 Living Stills (pictures with depth) |
| Your own video | Yes, through its Creator | Yes, MP4 files | Yes, with Pro. Movies loop silently. Your own photos are free |
| Wallpaper library | Community library of thousands, with curated collections | 2,900+ 4K wallpapers, by its pricing page | No download library. Every scene ships with the app |
| Desktop widgets | Not listed | Not listed | 14 widgets that take their colors from the wallpaper. Clock, date and day are free |
| Changes on a schedule | Playlists with schedules | Day and night, light and dark, or set times. Can follow sunrise and sunset (1.12.0) | By the clock, at sunrise or at sunset. 2 rules free, more with Pro |
| Different wallpaper per display | Yes | Yes | Yes, with Pro |
| Lock Screen | Moving video on the Lock Screen (since 2.0) | Moving Lock Screen and screen saver on macOS 26 and later | A still of the current scene, set as your desktop picture. Not animated |
| Sound | Not listed | Some wallpapers have audio, muted by default. Music sync with Spotify and Apple Music | 10 ambient sounds, with Pro |
| Folder icons | Not listed | Not listed | 70 patterns in your palette, 8 of them free |
| On battery | Optional pause on battery or in Low Power Mode (2.8.0) | Keep playing, pause when the battery is low, or pause whenever unplugged | Drops to 30 fps at half resolution on battery or in Low Power Mode. Pro adds a battery vibe |
| Web pages as wallpaper | No | No | No |
Inside the download
We downloaded both on October 9, 2026 and looked inside without running them. Neither runs in the App Sandbox. Backdrop includes Amplitude analytics and Sentry crash reporting; Wallper talks to its own servers. MacScapes is in the table for comparison.
| Backdrop | Wallper | MacScapes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version opened | 2.8.0 | 1.12.1 | 1.0 |
| Download | 39.4 MB disk image | 18.1 MB zip file | Not released yet |
| Size on disk | 99 MB | 25 MB | 35 MB |
| Needs | macOS 15 or later | macOS 14.6 or later | macOS 14 or later |
| Runs in the App Sandbox | No | No | Yes |
| Third-party code and services | Amplitude analytics, Sentry crash reporting, Sparkle updates, WishKit feedback | No third-party analytics found. Connects to Wallper's own servers and lrclib.net for song lyrics | None. The weather widget asks Open-Meteo for a forecast |
Or skip the video library
Both apps are built around clips: each loops, its colors are fixed, and the ones you keep take up space. MacScapes works differently. Its 42 scenes are drawn live by your Mac, so they never repeat, and any of 48 palettes recolors them. Widgets, folder icons and ambient sound take their colors from the scene, and schedules change the whole look with the sun. The free version has 7 scenes and no time limit.
For the details, see MacScapes vs Backdrop, MacScapes vs Wallper and our ranking of the best live wallpaper apps for Mac. We make MacScapes; facts about Backdrop and Wallper come from their own pages and downloads.