Dragonframe Tether vs Beastcam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dragonframe Tether
Transform your iOS device into a professional camera for stop motion animation software. Stream a live video preview to your computer, control camera settings, and capture high-quality images directly. Requires Dragonframe 4 or newer on a desktop.
- Use iPhone/iPad as capture source
- Live video preview on desktop
- Control shutter speed, ISO, focus, white balance
- Capture JPG or DNG images
- Direct image transfer to computer
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Use your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad as a capture source in Dragonframe 4 stop motion animation software. Instructions: 1. Connect your iOS device to your computer via a USB cable. 2. Launch Dragonframe software on the computer. 3. Launch DF Tether on your device. Dragonframe will automatically detect it and connect to it. Once connected: * Dragonframe will show a video preview using the iOS camera. * You can control shutter speed, ISO, focus and white balance. * Capture JPG or DNG images directly to the computer. (The specific functionality varies by camera.) NOTE: Requires Dragonframe 4 or newer on a macOS, Windows, or Linux desktop system. Dragonframe 4 is a separate purchase, and not included with this app. See http://www.dragonframe.com for more details. NOTE: Windows users must install iTunes.
Beastcam
This app offers advanced controls for capturing professional-quality photos and videos on your iPhone. It provides granular control over settings like focus and exposure, supports external lenses and microphones, and includes features for efficient file management and organization.
- Complete control over focus, exposure, zoom, and white balance
- Support for anamorphic lenses and external microphones
- Advanced presets for workflow organization
- Project and scene-based file management
- Focus peaking, false colors, and histogram analysis
- Image stabilization and aspect ratio guides
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Beastcam makes it easier than ever to capture the best possible photos and videos on your iPhone. It’s fast and easy-to-use, but powerful and customizable as a professional camera when you need it. We believe Beastcam is the most intuitive and advanced camera app ever created for capturing life’s special moments, expanding the capabilities of your iPhone camera to its fullest potential, and taking your #iPhoneography to the next level! *Complete control Easily set, fine-tune, and lock the most important settings you need in seconds, such as focus, exposure, zoom, white balance, and more using Beastcam’s intuitive design, quick-access buttons, precise value sliders, focus, and exposure reticles. All are available with a single tap on the home screen. *Hardware support Enhance your creativity with built-in support for DOF adapters, 1.33X & 1.55X anamorphic lenses in both photo and video mode. Improve your sound quality with external microphones and dial in the perfect settings for your environment, such as gain, audio format, sample rates. *Advanced presets Speed up and organize your workflow with shareable presets for every available setting. Save time setting up your camera with unlimited customizable presets for all available settings that can be applied at any time. Perfect for multi-phone setups, DOF Adapters, 1.33X & 1.55X anamorphic lenses, and other commonly used settings like frame rate, resolution, etc. *File management Save time finding your files by creating projects and scenes that auto-generate readable file names based on the project name, scene name and take # and prioritize your best footage (or delete your worst) with a single tap as soon as you’ve finished recording, or later in the built-in gallery. Conveniently manage and share all of your organized photos and videos with the built-in gallery. -SSD recording support on iPhone 15 and 16 Pro Series # Features - Set and lock focus and exposure with reticles - Precisely adjust white balance, focus, zoom, and exposure settings right from the home screen - Analyze your shots accurately: focus peaking, false colors, zebras, and histogram - Take steadier shots with standard or cinematic image stabilization - De-squeeze footage to 2.39:1 for 1.33X anamorphic lenses and 2.76:1 for 1.55X anamorphic lenses - Rotate orientation for DOF lens adapters - quick zoom, perfect for manual focus - Switch between any of your iPhone cameras - Monitor audio levels, microphone type, format, and sample rate right on the home screen - Compose your shots with 1:1, 2.39:1, and 2.76:1 aspect ratio guides and grids - Show/hide all of the menus from your home screen - Built-in flash/torch control - Create projects and scenes that auto-generate easy-to-read folder and file names based on the project name, scene name, take # - Prioritize your best footage (or delete your worst) with a single tap as soon as you’ve finished recording or later in the gallery - View, rename, move, share, or delete files with the built-in gallery - Custom local presets for white balance, zoom, and focus - Create shareable global presets for all available settings (video mode only) - Custom settings/rules for a fresh start - Easily adjust exposure, focus, zoom with gesture controls # Video - 4K 3840x2160, QHD 2560x1440, FHD 1920x1080 or HD 1280x720 resolutions - 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60, 120, or 240 FPS options - Bit rates: Low, Standard, High, Beast (up to 160 Mbit/s) - 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR - 10-bit SDR - ProRes (+Apple Log on iPhone 15, 16, and 17 Pro Series) Note: Some resolution and FPS options are not available on older iPhone models. The bit rate may vary depending on the resolution, FPS, and scene of your video # Audio - ACC, PCM, AIFF audio formats - 44.1kHz and 48kHz audio sample rates (device-dependent) - Supports built-in and external microphones - Control gain for external microphones #Photo - JPEG, HEIF, RAW, file formats - 1:1 , 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 aspect ratios
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Dragonframe Tether at Free against Beastcam's $2.99. Dragonframe Tether also leads on rating (4.2 vs 4.0). Beastcam's advantage is ratings volume (195 vs 15) and review sentiment (55% vs 43%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
Dragonframe Tether is free to download; Beastcam costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Dragonframe Tether holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beastcam has 195 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Dragonframe Tether's written reviews are positive against 55% of Beastcam's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Dragonframe Tether ships an update every 3 months, Beastcam every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dragonframe Tether | Beastcam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (15 ratings) — better | 4.0 (195 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | 55.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 195 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #34 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DZED Systems LLC | BeastGrip |
Customer experience
Dragonframe Tether
Beastcam
Bugs and requests
Dragonframe Tether
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Beastcam
Reported bugs
6 issues- Crashes on iPhone 14 Pro Max
- ProRes and 10-bit HDR not working
- Upside down camera on some devices
- Settings reset when changing lenses
- Video recording not saving properly
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- Compatibility issues with newer iPhones
Requested features
7 requests- Add support for Log/Flat profiles
- Implement true constant frame rate
- Add focus racking and focus peaking
- Integrate with Apple Watch for remote control
- Improve anamorphic lens support
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- Add 48MP photo mode
- Implement Dolby Vision and ProRes support
In-app purchases
Dragonframe Tether
No in-app purchases
Beastcam
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dragonframe Tether free?
Is Beastcam free?
Which has better reviews, Dragonframe Tether or Beastcam?
Do Dragonframe Tether or Beastcam have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dragonframe Tether or Beastcam?
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