Comparison

StarryCamera2 vs StarryLens

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

Head to head
About

StarryCamera2

Capture stunning night sky photos with this advanced camera app. It offers multiple shooting modes like Starry Sky, Star Trails, and Milky Way, allowing you to adjust ISO and shutter speed for professional results.

Highlights
  • Starry sky mode
  • Star trails mode
  • Milky way mode
  • Night view mode
  • Lighten mode
  • Adjustable ISO and Shutter Speed
Read full description

This camera app is designed to help you take beautiful photos of the stars with your iPhone. Why not try shooting star trails with your iPhone? ### How to Use 1. Go to a location with low temperatures where stars are clearly visible. 2. Secure your iPhone on a tripod or similar mount (this is the most important step). 3. Select a shooting mode. 4. Adjust brightness using shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. 5. Press the shutter button. ### Mode Features Starry Sky: Makes bright stars stand out; captures the scene close to how the naked eye sees it. Star Trails: For capturing star trail photos (shooting for 30 minutes creates a distinct star trail effect). Milky Way: For capturing the Milky Way and fine stars with sharp clarity. Night View: For when you want no processing; produces low-noise images. Lighten Composite: Uses lighten compositing (ideal for fireflies, fireworks, light trails, etc.). ### Fine-Tuning Focus 1. Position a bright star (such as a first- or second-magnitude star) in the center of the screen. 2. Press the focus button to zoom in; use the slider for coarse adjustment, then use the stepper controls to find the position where the star appears smallest. 3. If it is difficult to tell, try shooting with different focus positions and compare the results. ### About Star Trail Mode Unlike other modes, Star Trail Mode and Lighten Composite Mode do not allow brightness adjustments via shutter speed; please adjust the brightness using ISO sensitivity instead. To minimize errors, start with a 120-second test shot to adjust settings like ISO sensitivity before proceeding to the actual 1,800- or 3,600-second exposure. The "Starry Sky" mode is suitable for urban astrophotography, as it allows you to capture images in locations where long exposures might otherwise result in an overexposed, washed-out white image. Including statues or monuments in the frame can create impressive, visually striking photos. Using flimsy holders or tripods can cause the star trails to blur, so I recommend using sturdy, high-quality equipment. In "Star Trail" mode, the background is smoothed out via "Lighten Composite" (stacking) processing; this improves the visual quality, even on cameras with small, noise-prone sensors like those found in iPhones. Including the North Star enhances the swirling effect but results in shorter trails. Pointing the camera east (or elsewhere) eliminates the swirling look but produces longer trails. Choose whichever style you prefer. During a meteor shower, a one-hour star trail exposure might capture two or three shooting stars. For "Star Trail" mode, I recommend setting the light duration to "Middle Only." ### About Watermarks The default setting displays the app's name; please customize this with your handle or account name to protect your copyright. ### Recommended Method for Star Trail Photos with Cars 1. Start by selecting the ISO setting one step below the maximum. 2. In the settings, select "Middle Only" for the light duration. 3. Set the light intensity to "Medium" on the shooting screen. 4. Set the shutter speed to 120 seconds and take a few test shots to adjust the ISO sensitivity and light intensity. If the entire image is too bright, lower the ISO sensitivity; if it is too dark, raise it. If the car illuminated by the light is too bright, lower the light intensity; if it is too dark, raise it. 5. Once the ISO and light settings are finalized, set the shutter speed to 1800 seconds for the actual shot. Initially, you can leave the focus at the default setting of 0.0; however, once you get the hang of it, pressing the focus button to ensure precise focusing will result in sharper star trails and higher-quality photos.

About

StarryLens

Capture breathtaking night sky photos with advanced AI and specialized modes for star-filled skies and cityscapes. Enhance low-light images, reduce noise, and achieve sharp results even without a tripod. Offers HDR fusion and a user-friendly interface for all skill levels.

Highlights
  • AI-enhanced low-light photography
  • Star Mode for clear starry skies
  • City Mode for urban night scenes
  • HDR fusion for balanced exposure
  • Advanced image stabilization
  • Powerful noise reduction
  • Customizable shooting parameters
Features
Read full description

StarryLens: The Ultimate Night Sky Camera App If you are passionate about photography and love capturing the beauty of the night sky, StarryLens is the app for you. With exclusive AI and advanced technologies, StarryLens provides clear, sharp, and breathtakingly beautiful images for your night photography. Designed for capturing stunning starry skies, StarryLens comes equipped with AI that enhances images in extremely low-light conditions, helping you capture more and clearer stars in dark environments. Additionally, for city night scenes, the app comes with specialized algorithms to tackle the challenges of urban lighting and light pollution, enabling you to capture stunning night shots with ease. FEATURES: - Star Mode: StarryLens's star mode is designed to help you capture clear, bright photos in extreme low-light conditions, giving you a better chance to capture stunning starry sky photos. It also solves the challenges of star shooting in cities with light pollution. - City Mode: For city night scenes, the app comes with AI to solve the challenges of urban lighting and insufficient light to capture dark details, enabling you to capture stunning night shots with ease. - HDR fusion: StarryLens's HDR fusion algorithm effectively solves the problems of underexposure and overexposure in night photography, presenting clear and detailed images with enhanced brightness and clarity while effectively avoiding overexposure from lighting sources. - Advanced image stabilization algorithm allows you to capture sharp images even without a tripod, reducing the need for additional equipment and making night photography more accessible. - Powerful Noise Reduction: To enhance image quality, StarryLens includes powerful noise reduction capabilities, helping you reduce noise and blur in low-light photos, resulting in crisp and clear images. - Auto adjustments of shooting parameters based on ambient light: Reducing the need for manual adjustments, the app also allows for manual adjustments of ISO, white balance, and other parameters, giving you complete control over your photos. - Rich filters and presets: The app includes a wide range of color palettes and filter options, allowing you to produce stunning photos with ease, even without the need for post-processing. You can also adjust photo parameters such as brightness, contrast, and saturation to perfect your photos. - User-friendly interface: With its easy-to-use interface, StarryLens is accessible to everyone, from amateur photographers to professionals. The app is designed to provide a seamless and intuitive user experience. StarryLens is an exceptional app designed for night photography enthusiasts, professionals, and anyone who wants to capture stunning starry skies and beautiful night scenes with their smartphone. Whether you're an experienced photographer or a beginner, StarryLens is the perfect choice for taking your night photography to the next level. StarryLens Pro Subscription - Join StarryLens Pro to access all pro features. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. - Subscriptions will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal, in accordance with your plan, within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings any time after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.yuanye.ai/static/starrylens/privacy_en.html Terms of Use: https://www.yuanye.ai/static/starrylens/terms_en.html

Screenshots

StarryCamera24 screens
StarryLens4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: StarryLens at Free against StarryCamera2's $4.99. StarryLens also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (132 vs 10). StarryCamera2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (48% vs 39%). On update cadence, 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

StarryLens is free to download; StarryCamera2 costs $4.99 up front. StarryLens sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. StarryCamera2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StarryLens holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarryLens has 132 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of StarryCamera2's written reviews are positive against 39% of StarryLens's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StarryCamera2 ships an update monthly, StarryLens every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
StarryCamera2 versus StarryLens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarryCamera2StarryLens
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (10 ratings)4.3 (132 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.1% of reviews — better39.3% of reviews
Number of ratings10132 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer康行 NagasimaYuanye Technology

Customer experience

StarryCamera2

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive48.1%
Neutral18.5%
Negative33.3%

StarryLens

All ratings123 ratings
Positive82.9%
Neutral4.9%
Negative12.2%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive39.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

None

StarryCamera2

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

StarryLens

Subscriptions3
  • Early Subscription(Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Early Subscription(Annual)3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Special Offer(Annual)1 Year trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove watermarks$1.99

Questions

Is StarryCamera2 free?
StarryCamera2 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is StarryLens free?
StarryLens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, StarryCamera2 or StarryLens?
StarryLens is rated higher. StarryCamera2 averages 3.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while StarryLens averages 4.3 from 132 ratings.
Do StarryCamera2 or StarryLens have ads?
Neither StarryCamera2 nor StarryLens shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StarryCamera2 or StarryLens?
StarryCamera2 ships an update monthly, and StarryLens every 3 weeks. Most recently, StarryCamera2 was updated on October 26, 2026 and StarryLens on October 24, 2026.

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