# Camera M vs Lens Buddy

The clearest difference is price: Lens Buddy at Free against Camera M's $7.99. Lens Buddy also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (94% vs 68%). Camera M's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and chart position (#47 vs #148). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Lens Buddy is free to download; Camera M costs $7.99 up front. Lens Buddy sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Camera M asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lens Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lens Buddy has 34K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Camera M's written reviews are positive against 94% of Lens Buddy's.

Camera M ships an update every 3 weeks, Lens Buddy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Camera M | Lens Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-m-pro-manual-camera/id1239098425/reviews) | **[4.9 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-buddy-self-timer-camera/id1289471945/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K | **34K** |
| Positive reviews | 68.4% of reviews | **94.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#47** | #148 |
| Size | 30 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [bxb](https://appshunter.io/developer/312145555) | [Lens Buddy Selfie Timer Photo Video Filter Camera LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289471944) |

## What reviewers say

### Camera M

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-m-pro-manual-camera/id1239098425)

**Currently charting:** #47 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app offers professional manual camera controls for capturing high-quality photos, akin to a DSLR. It provides advanced features like RAW and ProRAW support, precise manual adjustments for focus, exposure, and white balance, and various shooting modes for creative control.

**Highlights:** Fluid gesture-based manual controls, Zero-process RAW and ProRAW support, Max Image Processing for best quality, Manual focus, exposure, and white balance, Multiple shooting modes (Burst, Timer, Bracket), Focus Peaking and 4x magnifier, Live RGB and luminance histograms

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive app
- 💡 Excellent manual camera controls
- 🎨 Produces high-quality images
- 🔒 No data collection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Lack of Russian language support
- 🔒 No option to select front-facing camera
- 🔒 Limited shutter speed options

**Reported bugs**

- Viewfinder freezes and app crashes
- RAW images come out blurry
- Depth mode has issues with focus and bokeh
- Settings buttons become unresponsive
- Shutter speed resets after each shot

**Requested features**

- Add video capture mode
- Implement longer shutter speed options
- Include focus bracketing and stacking
- Add color grading tools for RAW images
- Provide more aspect ratio options


### Lens Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-buddy-self-timer-camera/id1289471945)

**Currently charting:** #148 Top Grossing · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app allows you to take hands-free photos and videos using a customizable timer. It's ideal for solo photoshoots, group pictures, and content creation, offering features like a photo booth mode and high-quality capture.

**Highlights:** Customizable timer, Photo Booth mode, High-quality photo capture, Video recording, Built-in gallery for rating and organizing, RAW photo support, Burst mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly PRO | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly PRO | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly PRO | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly PRO | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| Special | $14.99 | per year |
| Special | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly PRO | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly PRO | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly PRO | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly PRO | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly PRO | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Customizable timer and photo settings
- 💡 Ability to take multiple photos at once
- 👍 Convenient for solo photography
- 👍 Organized photo management within the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 🐛 Issues with photo saving and transfer
- 🔒 Cannot fully mute the shutter sound
- 💰 Subscription model concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Photos not saving in order
- Inconsistent photo count between app and export

**Requested features**

- Ability to invert camera view
- Option to only save liked/approved photos
- Zip/batch photo export
- Apple Watch integration as a viewfinder


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Camera M free?

Camera M costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lens Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Camera M or Lens Buddy?

Lens Buddy is rated higher. Camera M averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Lens Buddy averages 4.9 from 34K ratings.

### Do Camera M or Lens Buddy have ads?

Neither Camera M nor Lens Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Camera M or Lens Buddy?

Camera M ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lens Buddy every 2 weeks. Most recently, Camera M was updated on September 26, 2026 and Lens Buddy on September 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Camera M or Lens Buddy?

Camera M currently peaks at #47 in the App Store charts, and Lens Buddy at #148. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*