Comparison

Lens Buddy vs Chronodev

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

Head to head
About

Lens Buddy

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
Read full description

Your ultimate handsfree camera experience is here! You take your own photos. Lens Buddy is a simple yet powerful timer camera app that will take pictures of you and your loved ones without the need to press buttons or even hold the device. Just set your desired time interval between the shots and let the camera roll! Leave your Bluetooth clicker home and do your own photoshoot! Take your social media presence to the next level! Once you finished taking your photos you can easily rate your pictures within the app that will help you to keep or export the best ones. Stop taking screenshots from videos - Lens Buddy offers higher quality photos and and easier way to take them! Want to take a group photo without having someone left out? Is there no one around to take a picture of you? Are you a content creator or a solo traveler? In need of building your Instagram feed? Do you need the best self timer app available? Simply put down your device on a safe place and let Lens Buddy make your perfect shot! FEATURES * [NEW] Photo Booth mode * 48MP capture * Video * Save photos to the app to keep your camera roll clean and use the built-in gallery to view, rate and organize your photos * Camera roll integration: save, sort into albums, view and manage your photos in the camera roll just like with the system camera app (optional, requires paid subscription) * RAW photo support (requires iOS 14.3, and available on Pro devices starting from iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max) * High quality photos * Live photos * Portrait mode * A clean, yet familiar and easy to use interface * Fully customizable timer * Sounds: Numerous sound effects and announcements help your photoshoot * Burst mode for super fast photography * Zoom, focus, exposure control * Aspect ratio: You can now snap your photos in either square or wide dimensions * Tracking focus: even if you move around the focus will follow you * Toggle between auto/on/off flash modes * Framing tools: Grid, level * Dark mode support Comments from you: "I love this app! I use is all the time for work and personal." "Just what I needed!" "Super easy and amazing!" "It’s literally perfect when you’re home alone and still want a cute outfit pic!" "This app is really helpful! Especially for those who are content creators like myself and take our own photos for work." Do you like Lens Buddy? Please don't forget to rate it in the App Store! It helps a lot. EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Chronodev

This app transforms your iPhone or iPad into a darkroom enlarger timer. It uses HomeKit-enabled devices to control your enlarger and safelights, offering features like manual control, metronome for dodging/burning, and automatic test strip creation.

Highlights
  • iPhone/iPad enlarger timer
  • HomeKit device control
  • Manual enlarger focusing
  • Metronome for dodging/burning
  • EV stop time adjustments
  • Automatic test strip creation
  • Voice control support
Read full description

Transform your iPhone into an enlarger timer using Chronodev. Chronodev uses HomeKit-enabled wall plugs and lightbulbs to control your enlarger and safelights. Secondhand enlarger timers can be expensive and hard to find. This one costs the price of a wi-fi wall plug. - Control your enlarger and safelight with your iPhone or iPad - Expose prints accurately using the HomeKit-enabled timer - Manual enlarger control for focusing - Use the metronome for dodging and burning - Adjust times using EV stops - Automatically create test strips with incremental exposures, and keep track of exposure times using a handy graph - Automatically turn your safelight off when exposing/focusing - Voice control support for hands-free development - Safe to use in black and white darkrooms when using iOS's built-in red color filter A HomeKit-enabled wall plug and/or lightbulb is required to use all features of this app. Some features (like a basic timer and EV stop calculations) are available without a HomeKit-enabled device.

Screenshots

Lens Buddy4 screens
Chronodev3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chronodev at none against Lens Buddy's 14. Lens Buddy's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (34K vs 2). On price, review sentiment, 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

Both are free to download. Lens Buddy sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Chronodev asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Lens Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chronodev's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, Chronodev monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Lens Buddy versus Chronodev: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLens BuddyChronodev
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (34K ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews94.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#155 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLens Buddy Selfie Timer Photo Video Filter Camera LLCKevin Olmats

Customer experience

Lens Buddy

All ratings34,046 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews994 reviews
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.8%

Chronodev

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Lens Buddy

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Photos not saving in order
  • Inconsistent photo count between app and export

Requested features

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

Chronodev

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Lens Buddy

Subscriptions12
  • Weekly PRO3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly PRO2 variants$2.997 Days
  • Weekly PRO$4.997 Days
Show 9 more
  • Monthly PRO2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Monthly PRO$9.991 Month
  • Special$14.991 Year
  • Special$19.991 Year
  • Yearly PRO3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Yearly PRO$29.991 Year
  • Yearly PRO7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Yearly PRO3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly PRO7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

Chronodev

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lens Buddy free?
Lens Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chronodev free?
Chronodev is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lens Buddy or Chronodev?
Lens Buddy is rated higher. Lens Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Chronodev averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Lens Buddy or Chronodev have ads?
Neither Lens Buddy nor Chronodev shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lens Buddy or Chronodev?
Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and Chronodev monthly. Most recently, Lens Buddy was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chronodev on June 7, 2026.

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