Comparison

BitCam vs Multichannel REC

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

Head to head
About

BitCam

Capture photos with a unique one-bit camera, producing images with only black and white pixels. Experience a retro interface with mechanical sounds and experiment with different pixel resolutions and an 8-color mode. Save your creations as clean PNG files for printing or digital projects.

Highlights
  • One-bit camera (black and white pixels)
  • Retro interface with mechanical sounds
  • Multiple pixel resolutions
  • 8-color mode option
  • Clean PNG output
  • Atkinson dithering method
Read full description

A blast from the past! Capture your photos with a unique 1-bit camera: only pure black and pure white pixels, no grayscale! BitCam's interface is delightfully old school, featuring chunky buttons and mechanical sounds the likes of which haven't graced your screen in over 40 years. In Camera mode, three different pixel resolutions let you experiment, and an 8-color mode brings you a little closer to the current day while preserving the distinct aesthetic. Or jump over to the editor to dither any photo from your library and experiment with resolutely modern colors & gradients. Clean, high resolution PNG output means you can print those files, use them in digital collages, or other art projects. You can also now run BitCam natively on your iPad, and your Mac! And on Mac, you can install a system extension to use BitCam in any app that uses the camera: Zoom, FaceTime, Google Meet, WebEx, Photo Booth, etc. The camera mode is entirely free and unlimited. The editor mode offers a 3 day trial, after which it requires a one-time in-app purchase for full access, on all of your account's devices.

About

Multichannel REC

Features
Read full description

Multichannel REC turns your iPhone or iPad into a professional multichannel field recorder. Plug in a USB-C or Class-Compliant audio interface and capture up to 128 channels straight to broadcast-standard files — no computer required. RECORDING • Up to 128 channels from any Class-Compliant USB audio interface • WAV / RF64 for single files larger than 4 GB • 44.1, 48 or 96 kHz · 16-bit or 24-bit • Rock-solid background recording — keep capturing with the screen off BROADCAST METADATA • Full BWF + iXML metadata: scene, take, notes • A JSON sidecar written alongside every take • Edit metadata live while recording • UCS (Universal Category System) tagging, Soundminer-compatible — instant and on-device, or with the optional Gemini engine using your own key MONITORING & METERING • Real-time VU meters and live waveform for every channel • Ambisonic Decoder for the SPCMIC: monitor in stereo (XY, ORTF) or KU100 binaural • AirPods head-tracking keeps the sound field anchored as you turn your head • "Particles" visualizer — see the direction of sources in real time ORGANIZE IN THE FIELD • Tag takes with GPS and find them on a map with clustering • Attach reference photos (slate, mic placement) from the camera or your library • Live Activity / Dynamic Island shows recording status at a glance • iCloud Drive sync, AirDrop and full Files-app access to every recording Built for sound recordists, location-sound and field-recording professionals, and anyone who needs more than two channels in their pocket. Multichannel REC stores everything on your device. No ads, no analytics, no account. See our Privacy Policy for the single optional cloud feature.

Screenshots

BitCam4 screens
Multichannel REC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BitCam at Free against Multichannel REC's $44.99. BitCam also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 8 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Multichannel REC's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On 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

BitCam is free to download; Multichannel REC costs $44.99 up front. BitCam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Multichannel REC asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BitCam ships an update every 2 weeks, Multichannel REC every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BitCam versus Multichannel REC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBitCamMultichannel REC
PriceFree — better$44.99
Rating4.7 (92 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings92 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHéliographe, IncAlvaro de Iscar Gonzalez

Bugs and requests

BitCam

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Color graphics not working
  • Doesn't recognize camera access
  • Saves photos in incorrect orientation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to import/edit existing photos
  • Video recording function
  • Option to adjust brightness/exposure
  • Ability to mute sounds
  • Inverted mode

Multichannel REC

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

BitCam

One-time1
  • Full BitCam2 variants$9.99
None

Multichannel REC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BitCam free?
BitCam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Multichannel REC free?
Multichannel REC costs $44.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do BitCam or Multichannel REC have ads?
Neither BitCam nor Multichannel REC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BitCam or Multichannel REC?
BitCam ships an update every 2 weeks, and Multichannel REC every 8 months. Most recently, BitCam was updated on October 11, 2026 and Multichannel REC on October 12, 2026.

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