Preston Cinema vs Crewmate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Preston Cinema
Update your camera equipment firmware wirelessly via Bluetooth. Store and share lens data locally, facilitating collaboration within the professional filmmaking community. Compatible with a wide range of Preston FI+Z units.
- Wireless firmware updates
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Local lens data database
- Lens data sharing
- Compatibility with multiple Preston units
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Update your Preston FI+Z equipment with the latest firmware anywhere there is cellular data or Wi-Fi through your iPhone and the Preston Bluetooth Module. The Bluetooth Module connects to Preston FI+Z units through the serial port. In addition, this app creates a local database on your iPhone for storing your HU3/HU4 lens data. The lens data can be accessed at any time for upload to your HU3/HU4 or shared with other members of the Preston community. Sharing is supported via email, text, Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer or any other file sharing app. The Bluetooth Module is compatible with the HU3, HU4, MDR-4, MDR-3, MDR-2, LR2, LR2W, LR2M, and Video Interface.
Crewmate
This app helps film, TV, and advertising crews plan and organize shoots. It features a gear database, PDF generation, real-time collaboration, and task assignment to streamline production from scouting to post-production.
- Audiovisual equipment database
- Gear list generation
- Professional PDF creation
- Real-time team collaboration
- Task assignment and progress tracking
- Dropbox integration
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Plan and organize your shoots like never before. Crewmate is the essential app for all technical crews in film, television, and advertising, designed to support you through every stage of production — from scouting to post. Access an extensive and constantly updated database of audiovisual equipment (cameras, lenses, accessories…), build your gear lists in just a few taps, and generate professional PDFs to send to your rental houses, in the language of your choice. Our custom algorithms help you avoid oversights and alert you to potential incompatibilities. Stay up to date with the latest gear releases, explore our rental house directory with over 300 listings worldwide, and find the perfect partner for your next project. Collaborate in real time with your team, assign tasks, share documents, and track your prep progress with ease. With Dropbox integration, digital framing charts generation, location management, and many other smart tools, Crewmate becomes your trusted on-set assistant. Currently focused on the camera department, Crewmate will soon expand to include other technical departments such as sound, grip, lighting, and video. One tool for all teams, right in your pocket ! --- Available on iPhone and iPad, in French, English, Spanish and Russian. Requires iOS 16 at least. User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Crewmate at 100% against Preston Cinema's 0%. Crewmate also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). Preston Cinema's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Crewmate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Preston Cinema asks for nothing beyond the download.
Crewmate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Preston Cinema's written reviews are positive against 100% of Crewmate's.
Preston Cinema ships an update every 4 months, Crewmate every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Preston Cinema | Crewmate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 159 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Preston Cinema Systems | Crewmate SAS |
Customer experience
Preston Cinema
Crewmate
In-app purchases
Preston Cinema
No in-app purchases
Crewmate
- Pro$9.991 Month
- Pro$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Preston Cinema free?
Is Crewmate free?
Which has better reviews, Preston Cinema or Crewmate?
Do Preston Cinema or Crewmate have ads?
Which is updated more often, Preston Cinema or Crewmate?
Other comparisons
