Simple HDR vs HDRI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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)
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Simple HDR costs $9.99 and HDRI $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Simple HDR | HDRI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 — better | $13.99 |
| Rating | 2.7 (7 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #192 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Built Light | Goldgewicht Consulting |
In-app purchases
Simple HDR
No in-app purchases
HDRI
No in-app purchases







