Comparison

SMO vs BlaX Macro Camera

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

Head to head
About

SMO

Capture detailed macro and microscopic photos and videos with enhanced magnification and illumination. Features digital zoom, adjustable autofocus, and a timer for stable shots.

Highlights
  • Capture photos and videos
  • Digital zoom for magnification
  • Adjustable flashlight for illumination
  • Manual and autofocus control
  • Full-screen observation
  • In-app timer for stable shots
Features
Read full description

Application with dedicated functions for easy use of the BLIPS lenses; for Macro photos or videos, or for observation at Microscopic scales. FEATURES: - Ability to take pictures and to shoot videos. - Digital Zoom to further increase the magnification and to observe microscopic details on the smartphone screen. - Flashlight can be activated whenever the user wants to increase the illumination on the observed subject, for enhancing the image definition. - Autofocus normally turned off; it can be easily activated and locked, if needed. - Full use of the screen to observe the tiniest details directly on your smartphone. - Timer: for keeping the camera still during the shot

About

BlaX Macro Camera

Capture stunning close-up images with advanced manual controls and real-time previews. This camera app offers a large live viewfinder, customizable interface, and powerful editing tools for macro photography enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Large live viewfinder with real-time preview
  • Customizable interface and presets
  • Manual focus, exposure, and white balance
  • Composition tools like Rule of Thirds
  • RAW and ProRAW capture options
  • Configurable watermark
Features
Read full description

BlaX Macro — Beautiful macro photography, made effortless. Built by a macro photographer for macro photographers. Compose, dial in your look, and capture frame-ready close-ups in seconds — no post-processing required. What you see in the live viewfinder is exactly what gets saved. WHY PHOTOGRAPHERS CHOOSE BlaX Macro • NEW in 7.0 — Edit Mode: your photos stay negatives. Re-open, re-develop, re-style any time (Elite) • See your creative look live, before you press the shutter • Capture macro shots in seconds, not minutes • Huge, distraction-free live viewfinder • Share your presets with friends via QR code in one tap • Limited-time Soccer World 2026 event: borders, watermark & corners in your team's flag look • Powerful manual controls when you need them • No ads. No subscription. One purchase, yours forever. FREE FEATURES • Large live viewfinder with real-time result preview • Swipe through presets, filters, and moods directly in the preview • Specialized presets in color and black & white • Focus modes: Manual, Auto, Continuous • Exposure modes: Manual, Auto, Continuous • White balance modes: Manual, Continuous • Pinch to zoom · Tap to focus and meter • Lock Screen widgets and control widgets • Adjust exposure compensation and zoom level • Optimized themes — or build your own • Distraction-free mode and red mode for dark environments • Works on iPhone and iPad • Available in 8 languages PRO FEATURES For photographers who want maximum control and flexibility. Image & color • Customize presets, knobs, colors, and moods • Display P3 wide-color capture • Preset scopes — apply just the look, the border, or the shape • Glow: add a soft, luminous halation that blooms from the highlights • The complete classic color filter set: 11 filters with 3 authentic grades each (#8, #25, 81B …) • Atmospheric, hand-crafted moods — with switchable variants for instant sub-looks • Show sharp image areas on demand • Macro focus support • Image stabilization for steady handheld shots Composition & exposure • Color histogram, luminance histogram, and live exposure info panel (ISO, white balance, tint) • Hyperfocal distance display in the exposure panel • Spirit level • 9 viewfinder masks — Rule of Thirds, Golden Ratio, Fibonacci & more • Set ISO and exposure duration independently in manual mode • Bluetooth trigger, volume-button trigger • Self-timer: 2 / 5 / 15 / 30 / 60 / 120 s • Adjustable iPhone torch White balance, format & sharing • Draggable, resizable gray-card field for pinpoint white balance • Aspect ratios: 1:1, 4:5, 3:4, 2:3 • Image formats: HEIC, PNG, JPEG, TIFF • Capture RAW or TIFF digital negatives (device-dependent) • 48 MP high-resolution mode (device-dependent) • Save an additional square image — ready for Instagram • Configurable watermark with custom text and color • Optional GPS metadata • Save to a dedicated album ELITE FEATURES Edit Mode — the darkroom in your camera: • Re-open any blaX photo on its look • Re-develop from the RAW negative — full quality • New look, frame & ratio after the shot • Saved edits stay re-editable, forever • Capture Apple ProRAW — the negative rides inside every photo (device-dependent) • All upcoming stack modes included Existing Pro owners are upgraded to Elite for free. One-time purchase. No subscriptions, ever. SUPPORT Missing a feature or found a bug? Get in touch — I read every email. support@blaXMacro.com Learn more: blaXMacro.com Requires iOS 17.4 or later. Thank you for supporting an independent developer.

Screenshots

SMO3 screens
BlaX Macro Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BlaX Macro Camera at 4.5 against SMO's 3.2. BlaX Macro Camera also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (75% vs 45%). SMO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (16 vs 2). On price, 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

Both are free to download. BlaX Macro Camera sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. SMO asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BlaX Macro Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMO has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of SMO's written reviews are positive against 75% of BlaX Macro Camera's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMO ships an update every 4 months, BlaX Macro Camera every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and August 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SMO versus BlaX Macro Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMOBlaX Macro Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (16 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmartMicroOpticsLars Menzel

Customer experience

SMO

All ratings16 ratings
Positive56.3%
Neutral12.5%
Negative31.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative45.5%

BlaX Macro Camera

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

None

SMO

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

BlaX Macro Camera

One-time4
  • Upgrade to EliteFree
  • Unlock all the features$8.99
  • Unlock the Pro features$8.99
Show 1 more
  • Small World Tipping$9.99

Questions

Is SMO free?
SMO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BlaX Macro Camera free?
BlaX Macro Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SMO or BlaX Macro Camera?
BlaX Macro Camera is rated higher. SMO averages 3.2 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while BlaX Macro Camera averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do SMO or BlaX Macro Camera have ads?
Neither SMO nor BlaX Macro Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SMO or BlaX Macro Camera?
SMO ships an update every 4 months, and BlaX Macro Camera every 4 days. Most recently, SMO was updated on June 1, 2026 and BlaX Macro Camera on August 19, 2026.

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