Wallpaper Hub vs Lockd
Wallpaper Hub vs Lockd compared on AI generation, live wallpapers, editor, and pricing, with a clear pick for iPhone users weighing both apps.
Lockd and Wallpaper Hub both target the iOS 16-through-26 lock screen, but they come at it from opposite directions. Lockd is a specialist — it built its name on one thing, the Depth Effect, where part of your wallpaper rises in front of the clock. Wallpaper Hub is a generalist that does the Depth Effect too, then keeps going with AI, live wallpapers, an editor, and more. The right pick depends on whether you want one feature done with focus or a whole toolkit in a single app.
What Lockd does well
Lockd’s strength is its narrow focus. By concentrating on Depth Effect lock screens, it curates images specifically for that layered look — subjects with clean edges that read well when they overlap the clock. If the only thing you want is a steady supply of wallpapers built to pop in front of the time, Lockd is a clean, purpose-built choice, and there’s something to be said for an app that does exactly one job without distraction.
Where Wallpaper Hub goes further
Wallpaper Hub matches the Depth Effect with its own dedicated collection optimized for the same layered look — so you’re not giving up that capability. What you gain on top is breadth:
- AI text-to-wallpaper generator — describe an image and get an iPhone-shaped result in seconds. Lockd has no AI generation.
- Live wallpapers — an animated library Lockd doesn’t offer.
- Custom editor — add text, gradients, blur, and grain with templates aligned to the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen widgets.
- Charging animations and ringtones — extras that live outside Lockd’s scope entirely.
So a Depth Effect lock screen in Wallpaper Hub isn’t a one-off — it’s one option among several ways to build the screen you want.
Side by side
| Wallpaper Hub | Lockd | |
|---|---|---|
| Depth Effect library | Yes | Yes (the core focus) |
| AI generator | Yes | No |
| Live wallpapers | Yes | No |
| Custom editor | Yes | No |
| Charging animations | Yes | No |
| Ringtones | Yes | No |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
For the full structured breakdown, see the Wallpaper Hub vs Lockd comparison page.
Which one suits you
Pick Lockd if you have exactly one need — Depth Effect lock screens — and you like the discipline of a single-purpose app. There’s nothing wrong with that; a focused tool can feel cleaner than a Swiss Army knife.
Pick Wallpaper Hub if you want the Depth Effect and the ability to generate something custom, animate it, or edit it without downloading three more apps. Most people, once they have a generator and an editor in reach, end up using them — and at that point the all-in-one app is simply less friction.
If you’re specifically chasing the layered lock screen look, our Depth Effect walkthrough covers how to get clean separation in either app, and the Depth Effect collection is a good place to start browsing subjects that work for it.
A practical note on Depth Effect quality
Depth Effect lives or dies on the source image, not the app. iOS decides what rises in front of the clock based on subject separation — a clear foreground object against a distinct background. Both Lockd and Wallpaper Hub curate for this, so in day-to-day use the layered result looks comparable. Where Wallpaper Hub helps is the path to a good Depth Effect image: if you can’t find the exact subject you want in the curated set, you can generate one with a prompt (“a single tall mountain peak, clean sky behind it”) and get an image built for the effect on the first try. With a single-purpose app, you’re limited to whatever is already in the gallery. Neither approach is wrong — it’s the difference between picking from a shelf and being able to make the thing you couldn’t find.
On price and commitment
Both apps are free to start, so you can test the Depth Effect experience in each without paying. Lockd’s value is its tight focus; Wallpaper Hub’s Premium ($5.99/week or $49.99/year) only matters if you start leaning on the AI generator or the full editor — features Lockd doesn’t have, so there’s nothing equivalent to compare the price against. If Depth Effect is genuinely all you want, the free tier of either app covers it.
The verdict
Lockd does one thing well; Wallpaper Hub does that same thing well and adds AI, live wallpapers, an editor, charging animations, and ringtones — all free to start, with Premium ($5.99/week or $49.99/year) for unlimited AI and the full library. If Depth Effect is your only goal, Lockd is a fine, focused pick. For everyone who wants room to do more without app-hopping, Wallpaper Hub is the more complete download.