Best Hairstyle Try On App in 2026: 8 Apps Compared

Realistic cut and colour previews · Starting price: Free
How we put this together: we compare official feature and pricing pages, app store listings, privacy policies and public user reviews. Prices change, so check the provider's site before you pay.
Key takeaways
- YouCam Makeup is the best all-round pick for realistic hairstyle and colour previews from your own photo.
- FaceApp suits quick, dramatic changes in length and colour, though results can look edited rather than natural.
- ModiFace and Style My Hair suit colour-first previews, including shades linked to real salon products.
- Perfect365 and Facetune suit people who want hair previews inside a wider photo editor.
- Treat every preview as a guide for your stylist, not as a promise of how a cut will look in real life.
Quick comparison
| Name | Who it suits | Starting price | Free option | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realistic cut and colour previews | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Quick dramatic changes | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Salon-linked colour ideas | See website | Yes | Visit | |
| Colour previews | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Bold colour and photo editing | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Previews inside a full editor | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Browser previews with no install | Free | Yes | Visit | |
| Adjusting a photo you like | Free | Yes | Visit |
The best hairstyle try on app
A hairstyle try-on app lets you preview a cut or colour on your own photo before you book a salon visit. Some apps use AI to reshape hair around your face, while others overlay styles or focus on colour only. The apps below cover both approaches, so you can pick based on whether you want a realistic preview or a quick idea.

YouCam Makeup is our pick for most people because it gives a realistic preview of both cuts and colours from a single photo. You can try a wide range of styles, adjust colour, and see the result on your own face rather than on a model. That matters when you are deciding between lengths, since a style that suits a model may sit very differently on your face shape.
The app also includes makeup tools, so you can preview a full look in one place. Results work best with a clear, front-facing photo in good light, and some premium styles sit behind a subscription. For a salon visit, save a few previews and show them to your stylist, since a photo explains a cut better than words alone.
- Large hairstyle and colour range
- Previews on your own photo
- Makeup tools in the same app
- Best results need a front-facing photo
- Some styles and colours need a paid plan

FaceApp is best for quick experiments rather than careful salon planning. Its AI can change hair length, colour, and style in seconds, which makes it fun for testing a bold idea you would never try without seeing it first. The interface is simple, and you can compare before and after shots side by side.
The trade-off is realism. Some results look clearly edited, especially with complex styles or unusual lighting, so treat them as ideas rather than exact previews. Paid features add more styles and remove watermarks on some exports. If you want a fast sense of a dramatic change, FaceApp is a good starting point, but confirm the final cut with a stylist.
- Fast AI changes to length and colour
- Easy to use
- Fun for bold ideas
- Results can look edited
- Full features need a paid plan
- Not a salon-accurate preview

Style My Hair, from L'Oreal, focuses on colour first. You can try shades on your own photo in 3D, which helps you judge how a colour might sit with your skin tone and current hair. Because shades link to real salon products, it is easier to take a result into a salon and ask for a matching colour.
Cut options are more limited than in YouCam Makeup, so it is not the best pick if a new shape is your main question. Lighting also affects colour accuracy, so try the same shade in daylight and indoor light before you decide. For colour decisions, especially a first bold colour, Style My Hair is a practical, salon-friendly tool.
- Colour ideas linked to salon products
- 3D preview on your photo
- Salon finder tools
- Colour focus means fewer cut options
- Results vary with lighting
ModiFace powers try-on tools for several beauty brands, and its hair colour preview is its main strength. You can see colour changes in real time on your camera or on a photo, which helps you compare shades quickly without saving many edited images. The technology is built for brand try-ons, so colour rendering is often more careful than in a general photo editor.
It is not a cut simulator, so do not expect it to reshape a hairstyle. Availability also varies, since ModiFace tools often appear inside brand apps and websites rather than as one standalone app. If colour is your question, look for a ModiFace-powered try-on from a brand you trust and use it alongside a cut app for the full picture.
- Real-time colour preview
- Used by beauty brands
- Simple try-on flow
- Colour focus only
- Availability varies by brand and region
Perfect365 suits people who want to try bold and fantasy colours, plus wider photo editing, in one free app. You can test bright shades, adjust a photo, and share the result quickly. That makes it fun for events, photos, and first experiments with colour that you might not commit to in a salon.
The results are less natural than YouCam Makeup for everyday cuts, and the free version includes ads. Cut previews are also limited, so it works best as a colour playground rather than a salon planning tool. If you want to see yourself with a bright shade before you talk to a colourist, Perfect365 is a low-cost way to test the idea.
- Free to start
- Bold and fantasy colours
- Wider photo editing tools
- Results can look less natural
- Ads in the free version
- Cut previews are limited
PhotoDirector is a full photo editor that also includes AI hairstyle try-on, which suits people who already edit photos and want hair previews in the same app. You can try styles, adjust colour, and then refine the whole photo with editing tools, rather than switching between a try-on app and an editor. Desktop and mobile versions give you more room to work on a larger screen.
Hair is only one part of the app, so its style range is narrower than a dedicated try-on app. The best features also sit behind a paid plan. Pick PhotoDirector if you want previews plus photo editing in one tool. Pick YouCam Makeup if hair previews alone are your main need.
- AI hair try-on inside a full photo editor
- Good export options
- Desktop and mobile versions
- Hair tools are one part of a larger app
- Best features need a paid plan
MyEdit is a browser-based editor that includes an AI hairstyle changer, so you can try styles without installing an app. That suits people who want a quick preview on a computer, or who do not want another app on their phone. Daily free credits let you test several styles, and you can compare results side by side.
Free credits run out quickly if you test many styles, and results depend heavily on photo quality. The style range is also smaller than YouCam Makeup. For a fast, no-install check of two or three ideas, MyEdit is handy. For deeper planning, a dedicated app will give you more styles and better control.
- Works in a browser with no download
- Daily free credits
- Quick comparisons
- Free credits are limited
- Results vary by photo
- Fewer styles than top apps
Facetune is known for photo retouching, and its hair tools fit that pattern. You can adjust colour, smooth hair, and refine a photo you already like, which is useful if you have a good salon photo and want to test a small change. The editing controls are finer than in a simple try-on app, so you can tweak details rather than accept a single AI result.
It is not a cut simulator, so do not expect it to show a new shape accurately. The best features need a subscription, and it is easy to over-edit a photo until it no longer looks like you. Use Facetune for small tweaks and colour tests, and use a dedicated try-on app for a new cut.
- Fine control over photo edits
- Hair colour and smoothing tools
- Polished exports
- Not a dedicated cut simulator
- Best features need a subscription
- Easy to over-edit
How we picked these
We compared official app pages, app store listings, and recent try-on comparisons, and we kept only apps with a real hairstyle or hair colour preview on your own photo. We favoured apps with a free starting tier, a clear style or colour range, and a realistic preview, and we included browser and editor options for people who do not want a dedicated app. Results vary by photo, lighting, and face shape, so treat every preview as a guide, not a guarantee. Check the current price and free limits in your app store before you pay.
How to get a useful preview
Start with a good photo. Use a clear, front-facing shot in daylight, with your face and shoulders visible and your hair pulled back from your face if possible. A poor photo is the most common reason a preview looks wrong, and no app can fix a dark or angled shot fully.
Compare several styles, not just one
Try the same cut in two or three lengths, and try a colour in daylight and indoor light. Save the previews you like and note what you like about each one, such as length around the face or warmth in the colour. That shortlist gives your stylist a clear starting point.
Take the preview to your stylist
Show your stylist the saved previews and talk about your hair type, daily routine, and how much styling time you want. A stylist can tell you whether a cut suits your hair texture and growth pattern, and whether a colour needs bleach or upkeep. The app starts the conversation, and the stylist finishes it.
Check privacy before you upload
Hair apps need your photo, so check what the app stores, whether photos are used to train models, and how to delete your data. Use a photo you are comfortable sharing, avoid uploading photos of other people without their permission, and delete previews you no longer need.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to try hairstyles?
YouCam Makeup is the best all-round pick for realistic cut and colour previews on your own photo. FaceApp is faster for dramatic changes, while MyEdit is best if you want a browser preview with no install.
Are hairstyle try-on apps accurate?
They give a useful guide, not an exact result. Accuracy depends on your photo, lighting, hair type, and the app's AI. Always confirm a cut or colour with a stylist, especially for major changes or colour that needs bleach.
Can I try hair colour without cutting my hair?
Yes. Style My Hair, ModiFace, and Perfect365 focus on colour, so you can test shades without changing length. Try the same shade in different light before you decide, since colour shifts with lighting.
Is there a free hairstyle try-on app?
Most apps in this list are free to download with limited free previews. YouCam Makeup, FaceApp, Perfect365, PhotoDirector, MyEdit, and Facetune all offer free tiers, with paid plans for more styles and exports.
Do I need a front-facing photo?
Yes, for the best results. A clear, front-facing photo in good light, with your face and shoulders visible, gives the app the most to work with. Side or angled photos often produce distorted previews.
Can men use hairstyle try-on apps?
Yes. YouCam Makeup, FaceApp, and PhotoDirector include men's styles as well as women's styles. Check the style library in the app before you pay, since the men's range varies by app.
Sources we checked (8)
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