Compare AI nail try-on tools (2026)
People searching "best AI nail try-on app" are usually choosing between three jobs: a still mockup on a photo they already took, a live camera overlay, or a photo-editor effect for a selfie.
This page is a feature comparison, not a ranking. No traffic numbers, no "#1." Prices and platform notes are from pages fetched or searched on 3 Sep 2026. Anything we could not verify is labeled that way.
If you already know you want a still on your own hands, in the browser, before you book: that is NailMock's AI nail try-on.
How the tools differ
| NailMock | CutieCure | NailLens | Agalaz | Generic photo-editor try-ons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Own-hand photo vs filter | Upload a hand or foot photo; AI renders shapes, colors, and art on that photo (still mockup). | Live per-nail AR on the phone camera (their guide: overlay tracks as the hand moves; on-device). Also prompt-to-design. | Point the camera; on-device vision paints a design on your nails. Library or upload your own inspiration. | Upload a hand photo plus a reference design; generative render on your fingers (~30 seconds on their try-on page). | Mix of auto hand-detection + preset stickers (BeautyPlus, Meitu, Facetune) or generic text-prompt edits (Fotor, Pixelcut) with no dedicated try-on, per BeautyPlus's own roundup. |
| Web vs app | Web app, phone or desktop, no download. | iOS app(App Store listing confirmed). Homepage on 3 Sep 2026 also advertises Android / Google Play; CutieCure's 18 May 2026 try-on guide still said "iOS only… Android is on the roadmap." Play listing not opened here. | iPhone and iPad app. App Store download. No web try-on stated on naillens.com. | Web try-on (no download claimed on their virtual try-on page). | Mostly mobile photo editors; Fotor/Pixelcut also have web editors (BeautyPlus list). |
| Salon workflow | Salon workspace: in-chair sessions, staff, shared credits, online booking, supplies search, viral posts. Public find salons map for personal users. | CutieCure Business: 24/7 booking, WhatsApp reminders, in-chair try-on, reviews, staff calendar. 7-day trial. Their May 2026 listicle still lists "salon booking integrated" under "what doesn't matter." | Homepage is client try-on + share with your nail artist. A third-party App Store text (appstor.io) describes a tech portfolio / chair try-on: not verified on naillens.com. | Send the render to your nail tech (stated on their try-on page). No salon workspace described on the pages we could read. | None in the BeautyPlus writeups. You save the edited photo and take it elsewhere. |
| Price (only where fetched) | Personal Free with starter credits; Starter $9/mo (80 credits); Pro $29/mo (280); credit packs from $29; salon from $59/mo, 7-day trial. Source: nailmock.com/pricing, 3 Sep 2026. | Free to download; core generation / try-on / library / save described as free on their listicle, with optional in-app upgrades. App Store listing: free = browse, save, track health; Premium = unlimited try-ons, personalized suggestions, ad-free, exclusive styles. Dollar prices not on cutiecure.app (not listed here). Business: 7-day trial; plan $ not published on /for-salons. | Homepage: free to start, no credit card, no sign-up wall. No prices on naillens.com. A third-party listing (appstor.io) showed $9.99 / $29.99 / $79.99 monthly tiers: not verified. | Full /best-ai-nail-try-on body blocked (Vercel checkpoint). Related page does not list plan cards. Search snippets for that URL mentioned a free first render, then trial and plans from $4.99/week: snippet only, not verified from the live article body. | BeautyPlus list (13 Mar 2026) states starting prices such as BeautyPlus/Meitu $4.49/mo, YouCam Nails $7.99/mo, NailedBy / Pixelcut $9.99/mo. Those are theirfigures, not re-checked on each vendor's site. |
Who each one is for
NailMock: still mockup, then book
You want the set on your hands or feet as a saveable image, in the browser, including short nails and pedicures. You may also want a salon to run the same preview at the chair, or a creator workflow. Start on the homepage; salon detail is on for salons.
CutieCure: live AR + health scoring, on a phone
You want to hold the camera up, rotate your hand, and see per-nail tracking, plus prompt-generated designs, skin-tone matching, and a 0–100 nail health score. You are fine installing an iOS app (Android: claimed on the homepage; previously "roadmap" in their May guide). Salons that want WhatsApp reminders and in-app booking should look at CutieCure Business, not this comparison row alone. Focused write-up: NailMock vs CutieCure.
NailLens: camera try-on on iPhone / iPad, no login to start
You want to point the camera, pick from a library or an inspiration upload, and share a before/after with your artist. Pricing and Android/web were not on the official homepage we fetched.
Agalaz: generative fashion try-on that includes nails
You already have a reference photo (Pinterest, Instagram, salon menu) and want it mapped onto a photo of your hand in the browser. Agalaz is a multi-category try-on site (clothes, jewelry, nails, and more, stated on related category pages). Treat their "best" article as a vendor page; we could not fetch its full body.
Generic photo-editor try-ons: finish a photo, not a booking brief
BeautyPlus, Meitu, YouCam Nails, Facetune, and prompt editors like Fotor or Pixelcut. Right if the goal is a selfie or a one-tap preset. Weak if you need a nail-tech brief, a pedicure on your own feet, or a salon workspace.
How to choose in one minute
- Need a still on your own photo you can text to a tech? Prefer NailMock or Agalaz-style generative upload, not a drifting filter.
- Need live camera and on-device AR? CutieCure or NailLens.
- Need no install, desktop or phone? NailMock (web). Agalaz also presents as web.
- Need in-chair software (staff, credits, booking)? NailMock salon plans or CutieCure Business. Do not assume a consumer AR app includes this.
- Need a prettier photo only? A general editor is enough; you do not need a nail platform.
Try the still mockup
Run an AI nail try-on in the browser or read how try-on works, and what it cannot show. For product definition without the comparison table, see AI nail try-on.
Common questions
How to choose between still mockup, live AR, and photo-editor try-ons.
- What is the best AI nail try-on app in 2026?
- There isn't a single best tool for every job. Use a still mockup on your own photo (NailMock) when you are booking a set; use live AR (CutieCure, NailLens) when you want to see color move on a camera; use a photo editor when you only need the picture.
- Is virtual nail try-on the same as AI nail try-on?
- Often used interchangeably. CutieCure's guide defines virtual try-on as real-time AR. NailMock and Agalaz publish a photo-upload render. Ask which output you need: a live overlay or a still brief.
- Do I have to download an app?
- Not for NailMock. CutieCure and NailLens are app-based on the pages we fetched. Agalaz's try-on page claims no download.
- Which tools work on my own hands, not a stock model?
- NailMock, CutieCure, NailLens, and Agalaz all say the preview uses your hands. Photo editors vary: some detect your hand in an uploaded photo; some are just filters.
- What does NailMock cost compared with free apps?
- NailMock personal use starts free with starter credits; paid plans start at $9/month. CutieCure and NailLens advertise free to start; their paid tiers were only partly published. Do not assume "free download" means unlimited generations.
Ready to see nails on your hands before you book?
Join salons, creators, and personal users using NailMock to preview designs, find deals, and shop matching materials.