# Lens Buddy vs LightCam

The clearest difference is monetization model: Lens Buddy at free with in-app purchases against LightCam's subscription. Lens Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (94% vs 70%). LightCam's advantage is iOS requirement (12 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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 LightCam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lens Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lens Buddy has 34K ratings behind it against 796, 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 70% of LightCam's.

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, LightCam weekly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lens Buddy | LightCam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lens-buddy-self-timer-camera/id1289471945/reviews)** | [4.6 (796 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightcam-selfie-glow-camera/id6739806380/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 796 |
| Positive reviews | **94.2% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#137** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lens Buddy Selfie Timer Photo Video Filter Camera LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289471944) | [淑环 关](https://appshunter.io/developer/1657322159) |

## What reviewers say

### Lens Buddy

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

**Currently charting:** #137 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


### LightCam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightcam-selfie-glow-camera/id6739806380)

Enhance your selfies and photos with professional lighting and over 200 retro film filters. This app offers real-time beauty effects, flexible lighting modes, and seamless editing tools to elevate your photography for social media, streams, and more.

**Highlights:** Built-in selfie lighting, 200+ retro film filters, Real-time beauty effects, Flexible lighting modes, Photo stitching and collages, RGB color panel

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LightCam Monthly VIP | $1.99 | per month |
| LightCam Yearly VIP | $7.99 | per year |
| LightCam Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| LightCam Lifetime VIP | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lens Buddy free?

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

### Is LightCam free?

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

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

Lens Buddy is rated higher. Lens Buddy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while LightCam averages 4.6 from 796 ratings.

### Do Lens Buddy or LightCam have ads?

LightCam shows ads; Lens Buddy does not.

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

Lens Buddy ships an update every 2 weeks, and LightCam weekly. Most recently, Lens Buddy was updated on October 28, 2026 and LightCam on October 28, 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.*