What's the difference between MacScapes and Mac+?

They're built on the same idea: scenes drawn live with Metal, recolored by palettes, with widgets and folder icons to match. MacScapes has nearly three times the scenes (42 against 15), more palettes (48 against 44), schedules that follow sunrise and sunset, ambient sound, and it runs in the App Sandbox. Mac+ costs less for a lifetime license and supports macOS 13.

Is there a Mac+ alternative with more scenes?

Yes. MacScapes has 42 scenes in 6 families, plus 9 Living Stills, against Mac+'s 15 scenes in four families. Both recolor every scene with palettes, and both have a free version with no time limit.

Mac+ has a free tier with no time limit: 6 scenes, 8 palettes, 2 widgets and 6 folder icons. The paid plan is €1.99 a month with a 7-day trial, or €9.99 once as a launch offer.

Which has the bigger free version, MacScapes or Mac+?

MacScapes, slightly: 7 scenes, 11 palettes, 3 widgets and 8 folder icons, plus two schedule rules. Mac+'s free tier has 6 scenes, 8 palettes, 2 widgets and 6 folder icons, and it includes a different wallpaper per display, which is Pro in MacScapes.

Does either app animate the Lock Screen?

Neither does. Mac+ says it has no Lock Screen support. MacScapes sets a still of the current scene as your desktop picture, which the Lock Screen and Mission Control show.

Compare

MacScapes vs Mac+: two live wallpaper apps drawn with Metal

Mac+ is the app closest to MacScapes: both draw scenes live with Metal, recolor them with palettes, and add widgets and folder icons. The difference is how far each one goes. MacScapes has 42 scenes against 15, 48 palettes against 44, plus schedules, ambient sound and the App Sandbox. Mac+ runs on macOS 13 and costs less to own.

By Chris at Neon FrenchieUpdated October 9, 2026

Koi in the Lagoon palette, a MacScapes scene — Koi, Lanterns, Jellyfish and Sunbeams: scenes from the Animals and Light families, which Mac+ doesn't have.

Lanterns in the Golden Hour palette, a MacScapes scene — Koi, Lanterns, Jellyfish and Sunbeams: scenes from the Animals and Light families, which Mac+ doesn't have.

MacScapes and Mac+ side by side

MacScapes and Mac+ compared
	MacScapes	Mac+
Price	Free. Pro is $1.99 a month, $12.99 a year or $19.99 once	€1.99 a month, or €9.99 once as a launch offer (normally €12.99). Prices are listed in euros only
Without paying	Free version with no time limit: 7 scenes, 11 palettes, 3 widgets, 2 schedule rules. The yearly plan starts with a 1-week trial	Free tier with no time limit: 6 scenes, 8 palettes, 2 widgets, 6 folder icons. 7-day trial of the monthly plan
Where to get it	Mac App Store or direct download	Direct download (not on the Mac App Store)
Requires	macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel	macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel
Latest version	1.0, October 2026	1.0.0 (from the download dated Oct 7, 2026)
Scenes drawn live	Yes: 42 scenes and 48 palettes, plus 9 Living Stills (pictures with depth)	Yes: 15 scenes and 44 palettes, plus a palette creator
Your own video	Yes, with Pro. Movies loop silently. Your own photos are free	Yes, with the paid plan
Wallpaper library	No download library. Every scene ships with the app	No. Its own fact sheet says there's no video gallery
Desktop widgets	14 widgets that take their colors from the wallpaper. Clock, date and day are free	12 widgets in the wallpaper's palette. 2 are free
Changes on a schedule	By the clock, at sunrise or at sunset. 2 rules free, more with Pro	Not listed
Different wallpaper per display	Yes, with Pro	Yes
Lock Screen	A still of the current scene, set as your desktop picture. Not animated	No. Its fact sheet says there's no Lock Screen support
Sound	10 ambient sounds, with Pro	Not listed
Folder icons	70 patterns in your palette, 8 of them free	52 patterns, or import your own. 6 are free
On battery	Drops to 30 fps at half resolution on battery or in Low Power Mode. Pro adds a battery vibe	Pauses when covered or when the screen sleeps. Frame rate and resolution are adjustable
Web pages as wallpaper	No	Not listed

“Not listed” means the developer’s own pages don’t mention it. Prices and features checked Oct 9, 2026

What you get in each

What MacScapes and Mac+ include
	MacScapes	Mac+
Scenes drawn live	42 in 6 families	15 in 4 families
Picture scenes	9 Living Stills	Not listed
Palettes	48, plus your own	44, plus your own
Widgets	14	12
Folder icons	70 patterns, or your own images with Pro	52 patterns, or import your own
Ambient sounds	10	Not listed
Schedules	Set times, sunrise, sunset, battery	Not listed

Prices and features checked Oct 9, 2026

Mac+’s scenes come in four families: Atmosphere, Fluid, Geometry and Weather. MacScapes has those and adds Light and Animals. You can browse every MacScapes scene before you download.

What MacScapes adds

Schedules. MacScapes switches the whole vibe at a set time, at sunrise or at sunset, and a battery vibe can take over when you unplug. See dynamic wallpaper.
Sound. Ten ambient sounds, from rain to a fire, that change with the vibe. Mac+ doesn’t list sound.
Lock Screen and Mission Control. MacScapes saves a still of the scene as your desktop picture so they match. Mac+ says it has no Lock Screen support.
Battery. MacScapes drops to 30 frames per second at half resolution when you unplug or use Low Power Mode. Mac+ pauses when covered and lets you set the frame rate and resolution yourself, but lists no battery setting.
The App Sandbox. MacScapes runs in it, so it can only reach what you give it. Mac+ doesn’t.

What Mac+ does better

Older macOS. Mac+ runs on macOS 13. MacScapes needs macOS 14. Both run on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Price. Lifetime is €9.99 as a launch offer (normally €12.99), against $19.99 for MacScapes Pro. Monthly prices are the same at 1.99 in each currency.
Free multi-display. Mac+ lists wallpapers per display in its free tier. In MacScapes, a different background on each display is part of Pro.
Size and languages. Mac+ is a 1.8 MB download and comes in English, French, Spanish and German.

Inside the download

We downloaded Mac+ on October 9, 2026 and looked inside without running it, next to our own release build.

What's inside MacScapes and Mac+
	MacScapes	Mac+
Version opened	1.0	1.0.0
Download	Not released yet	1.8 MB disk image
Size on disk	35 MB	5.5 MB
Needs	macOS 14 or later	macOS 13 or later
Runs in the App Sandbox	Yes	No
Third-party code and services	None. The weather widget asks Open-Meteo for a forecast	No analytics found. Connects to its own Supabase backend

Found by opening each app's download on October 9, 2026, without running it. MacScapes is our own release build.

Both apps have a free version with no time limit, so you can try each for a day before you pay. Mac+ is made by one developer in France. For the wider field, see our ranking of the best live wallpaper apps for Mac and what the free versions include.