Comparison

SWRLY vs ReeHeld

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

Head to head
About

SWRLY

Recreate the unique swirly bokeh effect of the 1840 Petzval lens. This app is ideal for portraits, offering a sharp center with artistic background blur. Explore antique film presets for a vintage photographic feel.

Highlights
  • Authentic swirly bokeh effect
  • Ideal for portraits
  • Depth and TrueDepth support
  • Antique film presets
  • Easy to use
Features
Read full description

SWRLY is a modern take on the original swirly lens, the Petzval, created in 1840 by Josef Petzval. This lens design was one of the first portrait lenses and is characterized by a unique swirly bokeh effect. Many of the earliest photos (daguerreotypes, tintypes, etc.) were captured with Petzval lenses. The Petzval lens has a sharp center region surrounded by swirly bokeh, making it fantastic for portraits. SWRLY is the first app to faithfully recreate this effect. FEATURES - Unique swirly bokeh authentic to the original lens - Great for portraits with Depth and TrueDepth support - Simple to use with great results - Presets like antique film types such as daguerreotype, tintype, etc. Get SWRLY now!

About

ReeHeld

Capture stunning long exposure photos on your iPhone without a tripod. This app uses AI to stabilize images, allowing for capture durations from 1 to 30 seconds. Ideal for creating professional-looking shots of landscapes, cityscapes, and more, even on the go.

Highlights
  • Handheld long exposure photography
  • AI image stabilization
  • 1-30 second capture duration
  • Intuitive interface
  • 6-Axis Stability Indicator
Features
Read full description

Introducing ReeHeld - the revolutionary iPhone photography camera app that lets you capture stunning long exposure photos without the need for a tripod. Whether you're a professional photographer or an amateur enthusiast, ReeHeld is the perfect tool for taking stunning long exposure shots on the go. With ReeHeld, you can shoot long exposure photos with a capture duration ranging from 1 second to 30 seconds, producing high-quality images that are sure to amaze your friends and followers. The app utilizes cutting-edge artificial intelligence and the neural engine of your iPhone to stabilize the images, resulting in sharp, clear, and stunning long exposure photos. ReeHeld is incredibly easy to use, with a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to quickly adjust your capture time and focus to get the perfect shot. With ReeHeld, you can unleash your creativity and capture incredible long exposure shots of landscapes, cityscapes, waterfalls, and much more. Thanks to its revolutionary AI technology, ReeHeld is the ultimate tool for capturing the perfect long exposure shot on your iPhone. So why wait? Download ReeHeld today. Point, shoot, and KEEP STEADY! — FEATURED — We're excited to share that ReeHeld has been showcased and celebrated by two of the most esteemed publications in the tech and photography world – PetaPixel and Fstoppers! Don't miss out on what the industry's top voices are raving about and learn more about ReeHeld now: PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/2023/06/08/reeheld-app-uses-ai-to-shoot-sharp-long-exposure-photos-on-iphone/ Fstoppers: https://fstoppers.com/reviews/incredible-hand-held-30-second-exposures-iphone-app-630082 — REMARKS — While ReeHeld's cutting-edge AI technology does an amazing job in stabilizing your long exposure shots, it's still necessary to hold your iPhone as steady as possible. The 6-Axis Stability Indicator will also guide you in keeping your hand stable in position, so to mitigate any unwanted movement and take sharp and clean shots. Keep steady and your photos will be sharp and memorable! — GET IN TOUCH — • We'd love to hear from you! If you do have any ideas on new features or improvements, please email us at: support@reeflexstore.com • Stay up to date and receive regular updates, subscribe to our newsletter: reeflexstore.com/pages/newsletter • Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @ReeflexCamera • Share your photos with us! Tag #ShotWithReeHeld and join our community — TUTORIAL — • Learn tips & tricks, and get the most out of the app: https://reeflexstore.com/pages/reeheld-tutorial • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): https://reeflexstore.com/pages/reeflex-apps-faq — ADMIN — Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://reeflexstore.com/pages/privacy-policy intellectual property: Each logo used in this listing belongs to their respective owners. We do not claim ownership of these logos, and all IP rights remain with the original owners.

Screenshots

SWRLY4 screens
ReeHeld4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ReeHeld at Free against SWRLY's $4.99. ReeHeld also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (448 vs 88). SWRLY's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On review sentiment and ads 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

ReeHeld is free to download; SWRLY costs $4.99 up front. ReeHeld sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. SWRLY asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SWRLY holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ReeHeld has 448 ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 55% and 55% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SWRLY ships an update every 4 months, ReeHeld every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
SWRLY versus ReeHeld: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSWRLYReeHeld
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (88 ratings) — better4.3 (448 ratings)
Positive reviews54.8% of reviews54.8% of reviews
Number of ratings88448 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.3
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames GroteReeflex GmbH

Customer experience

SWRLY

All ratings88 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral3.4%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral3.2%
Negative41.9%

ReeHeld

All ratings448 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral4.2%
Negative12.7%
Written reviews157 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral8.3%
Negative36.9%

Bugs and requests

SWRLY

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ReeHeld

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Raw files not saving properly
  • Crashes when trying to take a photo
  • Orientation issues with output images

Requested features

4 requests
  • Raw/DNG file format support
  • Longer exposure time options (e.g., 60 or 120 seconds)
  • Bluetooth remote shutter support
  • Orientation lock and EXIF data preservation

In-app purchases

None

SWRLY

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

ReeHeld

Subscriptions4
  • ReeHeld Pro$7.991 Year
  • ReeflexBundle$12.991 Year
  • ReeHeld Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Bundle Annual3 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time2
  • ReeHeld Life Time Access$24.99
  • Reeflex Bundle$34.99

Questions

Is SWRLY free?
SWRLY costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ReeHeld free?
ReeHeld is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SWRLY or ReeHeld?
SWRLY is rated higher. SWRLY averages 4.5 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while ReeHeld averages 4.3 from 448 ratings.
Do SWRLY or ReeHeld have ads?
Neither SWRLY nor ReeHeld shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SWRLY or ReeHeld?
SWRLY ships an update every 4 months, and ReeHeld every 6 weeks. Most recently, SWRLY was updated on November 2, 2026 and ReeHeld on November 3, 2026.

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