Comparison

Simple HDR vs HDRI

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

Head to head
About

Simple HDR

Capture bracketed 360° images with this app, designed for Ricoh Theta cameras. Choose between Auto and Pro settings for quick HDR landscape creation or light and reflection map generation.

Highlights
  • Capture bracketed 360° images
  • Create 360° landscapes
  • Generate light maps
  • Generate reflection maps
  • Auto capture setting (3 shots, 5 stops)
  • Pro capture setting (7 shots, 12 stops)
Features
Read full description

NOTE: A Ricoh Theta camera is required to use Simple HDR. We support the Ricoh Theta m15 and Ricoh Theta S models. Simple HDR is the easy way to quickly capture a full set of bracketed 360° images. You can use these images to create beautiful 360° landscapes, or to capture light maps or reflection maps for use in visual effects or video games. Unlike other HDR apps, we remove the complexity from this process and give you just two great options to choose from. We did our research, took hundreds of test images, and found the options that let you get the most out of the Ricoh Theta’s capabilities. Choose our Auto setting to quickly capture three 360° images, covering a range of 5 stops in just 15 seconds. This should be enough light data to capture most indoor or mixed lighting scenes. Or you can choose our Pro setting to take up to 7 shots, covering a range of 12 stops. This setting is ideal for outdoor scenes in bright daylight. When you’re done shooting, you can use Photoshop or your favorite HDR tool to create beautiful landscapes, lighting maps, or reflection maps. Make 360° HDR images quickly and easily with Simple HDR.

About

HDRI

Create photorealistic 3D scenes with this powerful tool. It helps visualize virtual objects in real-world environments by capturing and processing 360 panoramic images for lighting and reflection.

Highlights
  • Photorealistic 3D image creation
  • 360 panoramic camera control
  • Lighting and reflection source for 3D scenes
  • Supports HDR and EXR formats
  • Ideal for VFX, AR, and VR applications
Features
Read full description

The HDRI Application is a photorealistic 3D image creation helping tool. The HDRI Application works with a 360 panoramic camera (not supplied) and can be used in many fields, including: - cinematography, special effects - virtual reality - augmented reality The quality of display of a virtual object is key. Some situations require rendering virtual objects with a display that is similar to reality (the user must not be able to distinguish real objects from virtual objects, this is called photorealistic rendering). The virtual restitution of the various physical phenomena observed in reality requires a deep understanding of the scene and its environment (e.g. identification of light sources, their intensities, their temperatures, etc.). The HDRI Application allows you to take a number of photos using a 360 panoramic camera which can then be stitched together* to constitute a high-dynamic-range image (in HDR or EXR format). This image can then be used as a source of lighting and reflection for a 3D scene. *WARNING: The present version of the HDRI Application only allows you to control the 360 panoramic camera. The stitching of the photos (creation of a high-dynamic-range image in HDR or EXR format) must be carried out using a third-party application (e.g. Photoshop®, PTGui®...).

Screenshots

Simple HDR4 screens
HDRI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Simple HDR at 2.7 against HDRI's 1.0. Simple HDR also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and price ($9.99 vs $13.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Simple HDR costs $9.99 and HDRI $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple HDR holds the better App Store score, 2.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple HDR has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple HDR ships an update every 2 months, HDRI every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and July 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Simple HDR versus HDRI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple HDRHDRI
Price$9.99 — better$13.99
Rating2.7 (7 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#192 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBuilt LightGoldgewicht Consulting

In-app purchases

None

Simple HDR

No in-app purchases

None

HDRI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple HDR free?
Simple HDR costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is HDRI free?
HDRI costs $13.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple HDR or HDRI?
Simple HDR is rated higher. Simple HDR averages 2.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while HDRI averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simple HDR or HDRI have ads?
Neither Simple HDR nor HDRI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple HDR or HDRI?
Simple HDR ships an update every 2 months, and HDRI every 8 months. Most recently, Simple HDR was updated on September 15, 2026 and HDRI on July 7, 2026.

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