# Lens Buddy vs Parallel Camera

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lens Buddy at 94% against Parallel Camera's 33%. Lens Buddy also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Parallel Camera sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lens Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lens Buddy has 34K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Lens Buddy's written reviews are positive against 33% of Parallel Camera's.

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, Parallel Camera fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lens Buddy | Parallel Camera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-buddy-self-timer-camera/id1289471945/reviews)** | [4.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parallel-camera/id1671561611/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **94.4% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#143** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lens Buddy Selfie Timer Photo Video Filter Camera LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289471944) | [Irina Scelcunova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1737748446) |

## What reviewers say

### Lens Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #143 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


### Parallel Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parallel-camera/id1671561611)

Record videos and take photos simultaneously using your device's front and rear cameras. Choose from various split-screen or picture-in-picture layouts, customize borders, and select resolutions up to 4K.

**Highlights:** Dual camera photo and video recording, Split-screen and picture-in-picture views, Customizable border colors and shapes, Selectable resolutions (720p, 1080p, 4K), Adjustable frame rates (24, 30, 60 fps), Front screen flash and regular flash control, Grid overlay for precise framing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GoSelfie premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| GoSelfie 3 months premium | $9.99 | per 3 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lens Buddy free?

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

### Is Parallel Camera free?

Parallel Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Lens Buddy is rated higher. Lens Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Parallel Camera averages 4.0 from 7 ratings.

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

Parallel Camera shows ads; Lens Buddy does not.

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

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and Parallel Camera fortnightly. Most recently, Lens Buddy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Parallel Camera on September 21, 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.*