# Lens Buddy vs Lens Squid

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Lens Buddy at 34K against Lens Squid's 2. Lens Buddy also leads on chart position (#154 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 Lens Squid sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 5.0 for Lens Squid. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lens Buddy has 34K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lens Buddy | Lens Squid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-buddy-self-timer-camera/id1289471945/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-squid-timer-ai-shutter/id6447363857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 94.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#154** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 5 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) | [Breelig Ventures LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681088769) |

## What reviewers say

### Lens Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #154 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #191 Top Free · 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


### Lens Squid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-squid-timer-ai-shutter/id6447363857)

Capture photos and videos hands-free with customizable timers and intelligent AI smile and blink detection. Easily share your memories and even crop them with various shapes and borders.

**Highlights:** Hands-free photography, AI smile and blink detection, Video recording during timer shoots, Easy social media sharing, Screen mirroring compatibility, Photo cropping with custom borders

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Month | $0.99 | per month |
| 1 Year | $4.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lens Buddy free?

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

### Is Lens Squid free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lens Buddy or Lens Squid?

Lens Squid is rated higher. Lens Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Lens Squid averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Lens Buddy or Lens Squid have ads?

Neither Lens Buddy nor Lens Squid shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lens Buddy or Lens Squid?

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and Lens Squid every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lens Buddy was updated on September 25, 2026 and Lens Squid on June 10, 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.*