# Lens Buddy vs 17V28

The clearest difference is ads: Lens Buddy at none against 17V28's shown. Lens Buddy also leads on ratings volume (34K vs 1.9K) and chart position (#148 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lens Buddy sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and 17V28 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Lens Buddy against 4.8 for 17V28. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lens Buddy has 34K ratings behind it against 1.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Lens Buddy's written reviews are positive against 84% of 17V28's.

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, 17V28 weekly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lens Buddy | 17V28 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-buddy-self-timer-camera/id1289471945/reviews)** | [4.8 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/17v28-creative-carousel/id1636313936/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 1.9K |
| Positive reviews | **94.2% of reviews** | 84.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#148** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 1.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lens Buddy Selfie Timer Photo Video Filter Camera LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289471944) | [17V28 LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1370027491) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### 17V28

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/17v28-creative-carousel/id1636313936)

Create visually stunning digital scrapbooks and seamless carousels with a wide array of unique stickers, trendy fonts, and analog textures. Transform your photos into eye-catching collages that tell your story.

**Highlights:** Seamless carousel creation, Handmade sticker library, Dozens of trendy fonts, Analog photo textures, Crayon design elements, Intuitive editing interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual | $35.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Stylish and aesthetic templates
- 💡 Convenient for digital scrapbooking
- 🤩 Helps create unique and engaging content
- 🎉 Constantly updated with new features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, most require subscription
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 📏 Difficult to precisely resize and position elements
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality for templates
- 🖥️ No desktop/laptop version available

**Reported bugs**

- Issues with adding and positioning media
- Sticker feature causing app crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when exiting and reopening projects
- Warping and misalignment of placed elements

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Implement layering and rearranging options
- Allow importing of custom stickers and graphics
- Introduce a monthly subscription option
- Add more free templates and design elements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lens Buddy free?

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

### Is 17V28 free?

17V28 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lens Buddy or 17V28?

Lens Buddy is rated higher. Lens Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while 17V28 averages 4.8 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Lens Buddy or 17V28 have ads?

17V28 shows ads; Lens Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lens Buddy or 17V28?

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and 17V28 weekly. Most recently, Lens Buddy was updated on October 19, 2026 and 17V28 on October 19, 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.*