Comparison

iLightningCam AI vs Lightning Camera

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iLightningCam AI

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.

Highlights
  • Real-time lightning detection
  • Full AUTO mode
  • Manual ISO adjustment
  • Original photo resolution
  • Double-shot blending
  • Modern design
Features
Read full description

iLightningCam AI – photograph lightning without pressing the shutter. Set up your iPhone and point it at the storm. The app watches the camera image and takes the shot automatically at every strike. Each detected strike appears as a card with all images of that moment and a combined image that brings all phases together. Save the images you choose to the Photos app. iLightningCam AI is the successor to iLightningCam 2 and to iLightningCam, the first lightning app for iOS, available on the App Store since 2011. Existing owners of iLightningCam 2 receive iLightningCam AI as an update. Why “AI”: the parameters for lightning detection and for post-processing in the Studio were determined with artificial intelligence, using thousands of real lightning images from iLightningCam 2 and iLightningCam AI. iLightningCam AI is a genuine photo app. It uses no generative AI to create images. The Studio, too, only optimizes and enhances your own shots and never creates artificial lightning. WHAT THE APP DOES • Real-time lightning detection, day and night, with images at photo resolution • More phases per strike: high temporal resolution captures how a strike develops across several individual images • Much improved detection, especially in daylight against a bright sky, with few false triggers • Higher image quality thanks to the new engine and the HEIC format • Automatic exposure, frame rate and capture mode, tuned for lightning and for your iPhone • Modes for every storm: Auto, Normal, Near Lightning, Distant Lightning, Sheet Lightning and Manual, with your own ISO range • Horizon line: nothing below it is analyzed, so cars and streetlights don’t interfere • Focus calibration for every lens, optimized for storm photography • Detailed in-app manual in eight languages, including the basics of lightning photography iLightningCam Studio (in-app purchase) The optional add-on brings editing tools to the app: • Choose the best phases of a strike and combine them into an image of your own • Lightning Repair: bring out the bolt, remove dark edges along it, soften the bright horizontal band the camera can produce. Many image defects can be reduced considerably this way, but not all. • Crop and fine-tune light and color • Save as an image, Live Photo or video clip • Time-lapse of the entire storm, with separate speed settings for the strikes and the storm One-time purchase, Family Sharing included, no subscription. Your originals stay untouched. The Studio only works with strikes captured with iLightningCam AI. Images from iLightningCam 2, from other apps or from the Photos app cannot be imported. REQUIREMENTS iPhone with iOS 17 or later, iPad with iPadOS 17 or later. For good results, use a tripod or steady support and make sure you have a clear view of the storm. SAFETY Thunderstorms are life-threatening. Seek shelter immediately as soon as a storm can be seen or heard, and never stay outdoors. Only take photos from inside an enclosed building, through a window. You are responsible for your own actions and for any resulting damage. The app is not intended for children or for people who cannot protect themselves from thunderstorms. The full safety information is in chapter 1 of the in-app manual.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Auto lightning detection
  • Automatic photo capture
  • Easy to use interface
  • No photography skills required
  • Weather fan tool
Features
Read 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

iLightningCam AI4 screens
Lightning Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Lightning Camera at Free against iLightningCam AI'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 AI'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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Lightning Camera is free to download; iLightningCam AI costs $3.99 up front. Lightning Camera sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. iLightningCam AI asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightning Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 93 and 38 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of iLightningCam AI'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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iLightningCam AI ships an update every 4 months, Lightning Camera every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iLightningCam AI versus Lightning Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriLightningCam AILightning Camera
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (93 ratings)4.3 (38 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.2% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings93 — better38
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlorian StiassnySezer Iltekin

Customer experience

iLightningCam AI

All ratings93 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative22.6%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive67.2%
Neutral6.6%
Negative26.2%

Lightning Camera

All ratings38 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral11.1%
Negative38.9%

Bugs and requests

iLightningCam AI

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

None

iLightningCam AI

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Lightning Camera

Subscriptions3
  • ThunderCatch PRO Weekly$4.997 Days
  • ThunderCatch PRO Annual$12.991 Year
  • ThunderCatch PRO Yearly$12.991 Year
One-time2
  • ThunderCatch PRO Lifetime DC$19.99
  • ThunderCatch Pro Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is iLightningCam AI free?
iLightningCam AI costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightning Camera free?
Lightning Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iLightningCam AI or Lightning Camera?
Lightning Camera is rated higher. iLightningCam AI averages 4.0 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while Lightning Camera averages 4.3 from 38 ratings.
Do iLightningCam AI or Lightning Camera have ads?
Neither iLightningCam AI nor Lightning Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iLightningCam AI or Lightning Camera?
iLightningCam AI ships an update every 4 months, and Lightning Camera every 2 weeks. Most recently, iLightningCam AI was updated on October 17, 2026 and Lightning Camera on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons