NailMock vs CutieCure
Both products help you see a manicure on your own hands before a salon visit. They do it differently.
NailMock is a web app: you upload a photo of your hand or foot and get a still AI mockup (shapes, colors, and art) that you can save and take to an appointment.
CutieCure is a phone app: you point the camera at your hand and see a live AR overlay that, in their words, finds each nail boundary and tracks it as you move. They also generate designs from text prompts and offer an AI nail health score.
If you want live tracking on a camera, CutieCure is built for that. If you want a still on your actual photo, in the browser, including feet, NailMock is built for that.
Side by side
| NailMock | CutieCure | |
|---|---|---|
| Try-on model | Upload a hand/foot photo → generative still mockup | Live camera → per-nail AR overlay |
| Describe a look | Yes ("choose a style preset or describe your look") | Yes (prompt-to-design; iterations) |
| Hands / feet | Hands or feet (homepage H1) | Hands (camera try-on). Feet not stated on the pages we fetched |
| App download | No. Browser, phone or desktop | Yes. App Store listing confirmed. Android advertised on the homepage 3 Sep 2026; their May 2026 guide still said iOS only |
| On-device camera tracking | Not a published NailMock claim | Yes. CutieCure says AR runs on-device and "nothing about your hand goes to a server" for tracking |
| Nail health score | Not offered | 0–100 score, issue detection, care plans |
| Skin-tone matching as a named feature | Preview shows the shade on yourphoto (color against skin is a stated use). No separate "undertone engine" page | Named feature: skin tone + undertone + curated suggestions |
| Save for your tech | Private gallery; send the still when you book | Save / share / screenshot to your technician |
| After the preview | Find salons, shop supplies, creator portfolio | Collections in-app; CutieCure Business for salons |
| Personal price | Free starter credits; $9/mo (80 credits); $29/mo (280); packs from $29 | Free to download; optional in-app upgrades. Dollar prices not published on cutiecure.app |
| Salon price | From $59/mo, 7-day trial (pricing) | 7-day trial. Plan $ not on /for-salons |
What CutieCure is better at (from their own pages)
- Live AR. Their virtual try-on guide describes hand detection, per-nail segmentation, and lighting composite while the camera is on. NailMock does not publish that flow.
- Nail health. A scored analysis with care plans. NailMock does not offer this.
- On-device tracking. Their claim: try-on works offline once a design is loaded. NailMock is a signed-in web generation.
- No account to start AR(guide: "No account needed to try-on"). NailMock asks you to sign in before generating.
Those are real differences. They are why someone might keep CutieCure on their phone even if they also use a photo mockup.
What NailMock is better at (from NailMock pages)
- A still on your photo, including feet.Booking a set usually needs an image you can send, not only a live overlay. Pedicure preview is in NailMock's H1; it is not described on the CutieCure pages we fetched.
- No install. Browser on desktop or phone.
- The preview connects to booking. Map of nearby salons, discount badges, and a salon workspace for in-chair sessions, staff, shared credits, and online booking.
- Creator tools on the same account. Viral templates and AI nail videos on Personal Pro.
CutieCure's May 2026 listicle puts "Salon booking integrated" in a section called "What doesn't matter." CutieCure now sells CutieCure Business with 24/7 booking and WhatsApp reminders. NailMock treats the salon path as the reason you try on, not an add-on. Neither product "doesn't" do booking anymore; the products just package it differently.
Price, stated carefully
NailMock personal use starts free with starter credits. Paid plans: $9/month (80 credits) and $29/month (280). Most stills are 1 credit per look. Credit packs start at $29. Salon plans start at $59/month with a 7-day trial. Source: nailmock.com/pricing, 3 Sep 2026.
CutieCure is free to download. Their listicle says core features (generation, try-on, library, save/share) are free, with optional in-app upgrades. Their App Store listing splits Free (browse, save, track health) from Premium (unlimited try-ons, personalized suggestions, ad-free, exclusive styles). We did not fetch a public CutieCure price table in dollars, so this page does not invent one.
Who should use which
- Use CutieCure if you want to rotate your hand in AR, you are on iPhone (and possibly Android: see the platform note), and you care about a health score.
- Use NailMock if you want a mockup on a photo of your own hands or feet, you would rather not install an app, and you plan to send the still to a salon, or you are the salon.
- Use both if you browse color in AR and then freeze the winner as a photo mockup for the appointment. Nothing on either site forbids that.
Try the mockup in the browser
Open NailMock or read the category explainer. For the wider field, see AI nail try-on tools compared.
Common questions
Photo mockup vs live AR, free tiers, and salon options.
- Is NailMock a CutieCure alternative?
- For "see this set on my hands before I book," yes. For live AR and nail-health scoring, no. Those are CutieCure features NailMock does not list.
- Does NailMock use AR filters?
- No. NailMock generates a still mockup on an uploaded photo. CutieCure's listicle treats drifting sticker filters as a separate, weaker category; their own product is per-nail AR, not a sticker. NailMock is a third model: a photo render.
- Which one is free?
- Both have a free starting point. NailMock: starter credits, no card required. CutieCure: free download; some features sit behind in-app upgrades. Paid NailMock personal plans start at $9/month.
- Can salons use either?
- Yes. NailMock salon plans (from $59/month, 7-day trial) and CutieCure Business (7-day trial; price not published on their salon page).
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.