iLightningCam 2 vs Lightning Camera
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iLightningCam 2
Capture stunning lightning strike photos in real-time with your iPhone or iPad. This app automatically detects and photographs lightning, offering both fully automatic and manual ISO controls for expert users. Enjoy high-resolution images without interpolation.
- Real-time lightning detection
- Full AUTO mode
- Manual ISO adjustment
- Original photo resolution
- Double-shot blending
- Modern design
Read full descriptionHide full description
iLightningCam 2 - The Second Generation - Real-time lightning photography with iPhone made easy. It enables everyone to take spectacular pictures of real lighting strikes with an iPhone or iPad! After three years of development, iLightningCam 2 follows the unique iLightningCam, which was the only app with ISO control since 2012 with more than 160 000 users. iLightningCam 2 features: - Full AUTO Mode! No user input needed! The app changes automatically between day and night mode Continuous calculation of best ISO settings based on the last strikes - Original Photo Resolution, no tricks, no interpolation! - Much better detection! - Double-shot , + one image as blend of first and second shot! - New modern design! - For experts: ISO ranges are fully manually adjustable, if wished! iLightningCam 2 uses true real-time recognition of lightning strikes. Once recognized, your iPhone takes a picture of the recognized lightning in up to full resolution. And yes - your iPhone or iPad is fast enough! You only need a good view on a real thunderstorm. The app works free hand. Just point your iPhone towards the scene/part of the sky/thunderstorm where you expect the next lightning, start the iLightningCam 2 and wait, the app will automatically press the trigger if a lightning is detected in your view. Warning: Lightning storms are life threatening for you and your phone!!! Take care using this app! Do not take any risks and avoid exposure to thunderstorms! Use this app only in lightning and storm protected places. You are solely responsible for your actions and adverse consequences. Read full safety warning in the instructions page, before using this app. Who is it not for: It is not for children and it is not for mentally handicapped persons, as they may have not the ability to protect themselves against lightning or the associated storm.
Lightning Camera
This app automatically captures photos of lightning strikes as they happen. Simply open the application and let it detect and photograph lightning for you. It's designed for easy use by anyone interested in weather phenomena.
- Auto lightning detection
- Automatic photo capture
- Easy to use interface
- No photography skills required
- Weather fan tool
Read full descriptionHide full description
ThunderCatch detects lightning and automatically takes photos when it strikes. Whether you're a weather fan or just want to capture lightning, open the app and let ThunderCatch do the rest. - Auto Lightning Detection: The app snaps a photo as soon as lightning is detected. - Easy to Use: Just tap to start, and ThunderCatch handles everything. - Simple Interface for Everyone: No photography skills needed, anyone can use it. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Lightning Camera at Free against iLightningCam 2's $3.99. Lightning Camera also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). iLightningCam 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (67% vs 50%). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Lightning Camera is free to download; iLightningCam 2 costs $3.99 up front. Lightning Camera sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. iLightningCam 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
Lightning Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 92 and 38 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of iLightningCam 2's written reviews are positive against 50% of Lightning Camera's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iLightningCam 2 ships an update every 4 months, Lightning Camera every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iLightningCam 2 | Lightning Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (92 ratings) | 4.3 (38 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 92 — better | 38 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Florian Stiassny | Sezer Iltekin |
Customer experience
iLightningCam 2
Lightning Camera
Bugs and requests
iLightningCam 2
Reported bugs
22 issues- White bar across the top of the image
- Pictures are blurry on newer iPhone models
- App captures nothing or everything is overexposed
- Auto setting not getting lightning, only brightness and out of focus
- Large lightning setting gets nothing
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Misses a lot of strikes, ones caught are out of focus
- Constantly out of focus on 13 pro max
- Only 2x zoom works, other cameras are blurry
- White bar showing up
- App takes 4 pics but captures nothing
- Weird pink light but no lightning strike
- Focus not working on iPhone 12 max pro
- Took a lot of blank pictures and lots of duplicates
- Out of focus on iPhone 12
- Every photo is out of focus on 13 pro max
- App freezes
- Not triggering camera on newest version
- Tells user to upgrade to iOS 10 when on iOS 11
- App freezes after a minute
- App not saving photos despite access rights
- App not working well on iPhone 5
- App not capturing lightning bolts, only sheet lightning
Requested features
15 requests- Vertical mode
- RAW format output
- More control over aperture and shutter speed
- Higher resolution output (24MP)
- HEIC or RAW format saving
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Option to choose more than 2 shots for composite
- Timelapse/Video/Live Photo mode
- Way to review shots within the app
- 5x zoom
- Daytime lightning capture
- German language support
- Tutorial for settings
- Improve UI/UX
- Higher resolution camera optimization
- Fix bug with x0.5 lens focus
Lightning Camera
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iLightningCam 2
No in-app purchases
Lightning Camera
- ThunderCatch PRO Weekly$4.997 Days
- ThunderCatch PRO Annual$12.991 Year
- ThunderCatch PRO Yearly$12.991 Year
- ThunderCatch PRO Lifetime DC$19.99
- ThunderCatch Pro Lifetime$49.99
Questions
Is iLightningCam 2 free?
Is Lightning Camera free?
Which has better reviews, iLightningCam 2 or Lightning Camera?
Do iLightningCam 2 or Lightning Camera have ads?
Which is updated more often, iLightningCam 2 or Lightning Camera?
Other comparisons
