# Iris vs Obscura

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Iris at none against Obscura's 5. Iris also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18). Obscura's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Obscura sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Iris asks for nothing beyond the download.

Iris ships an update every 8 months, Obscura fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Iris | Obscura |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.0 (263 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obscura-pro-camera/id1579306989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **263** |
| Positive reviews | — | 52.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 12 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stephen Anthony](https://appshunter.io/developer/432771842) | [Ben McCarthy](https://appshunter.io/developer/893264216) |

## What reviewers say

### Iris

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iris-pro-camera-control/id1169519853)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Obscura

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obscura-pro-camera/id1579306989)

This camera app offers advanced manual controls and professional formats like ProRAW for enhanced photo and video capture. Its intuitive design and tactile interface allow for precise adjustments, while features like focus peaking and histograms aid in achieving stunning results.

**Highlights:** Manual exposure, focus, and white balance controls, ProRAW, RAW, HEIC, and JPEG capture formats, Live filters and multiple aspect ratios, Histogram, focus peaking, and exposure clipping highlights, Integrated photo library with editing and sharing, Video and Live Photo capture

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Obscura Ultra - Weekly | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| Obscura Ultra - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Obscura Ultra | $24.99 | per year |
| Obscura Ultra Upgrade | $24.99 | per year |
| Obscura Ultra - One Time | $74.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful manual controls
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 🎨 Customizable presets and filters
- 💡 Unique camera gestures and UI
- 🎥 Supports video recording

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription-based model
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🤔 Unintuitive controls and settings
- 🤷‍♂️ Lack of support for newer iPhone lenses

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to use Pro Raw mode
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between lenses
- Manual settings randomly resetting
- Photos not saving properly
- Freezing and black screen issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to save custom camera settings
- Variable zoom function in pro mode
- Separate manual control for exposure and ISO
- Dedicated selfie button
- Live audio capture for Live Photos


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Iris free?

Iris is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Obscura free?

Obscura is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Iris or Obscura have ads?

Neither Iris nor Obscura shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Iris or Obscura?

Iris ships an update every 8 months, and Obscura fortnightly. Most recently, Iris was updated on September 17, 2026 and Obscura on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*