Comparison

Photon Camera vs Piko

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

Head to head
About

Photon Camera

Transform your iPhone into a professional camera with full manual controls. Achieve DSLR-quality photos with advanced tools like focus peaking, live exposure, and RAW capture. Take creative control with AI processing options and a minimalist interface.

Highlights
  • Full manual control (ISO, shutter speed, white balance)
  • Focus peaking and focus loupe
  • Live exposure and histogram
  • RAW, ProRAW, HEIF, and JPEG capture
  • Adjustable AI processing (Process Control)
  • Minimalist and intuitive interface
  • Image browser with photo details
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone and iPad into a powerful photography tool with Photon Camera. Ideal for passionate enthusiasts and those venturing into professional photography, Photon Camera ensures DSLR-quality captures with every tap. DSLR-Quality Photos with Professional Features Photon Camera brings DSLR-quality photos to your iPhone and iPad with professional features for full manual control. Adjust focus, ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and, on iPhone 18 Pro, aperture, to capture unbelievable images. The ultimate camera app for creative photographers. Minimalist, Intuitive Design Ditch the clutter and focus on your shot. Photon sports a sleek, minimalist design that puts essential features at your fingertips. Clearly labeled, high-contrast, easy-to-tap controls give you instant access to focus, exposure, and white balance, so you can capture the perfect shot every time. Powerful, Professional Tools Experience the best of professional photography on your iPhone and iPad. Photon Camera equips you with robust tools such as live exposure, histogram, level, a focus loupe, timer, exposure clipping, and focus peaking, ensuring you capture exactly what you want. A Native iPad Camera Photon is built for iPad. All your pro tools are there: manual controls, histogram, level, focus peaking, and loupe, with layouts designed for the larger screen. A dedicated editing sidebar gives your photos more room while keeping adjustments close at hand. Smart, Precise Editing Edit with the same precision you shoot with. Smart Selection lets you tap an object and adjust it independently: Photon detects its edges, so you can brighten your subject, cool the background, or give each its own look. Blur and Sharpen tools let you soften a background or bring out detail, across the whole image or just a selection. On iPad, a dedicated editing sidebar gives your photos more room while keeping adjustments close at hand. Smart Selection requires iOS 27. Take Creative Control with Process Control Go beyond the basics of RAW photography with Process Control. This innovative tool lets you select the level of AI processing applied to your photos on a scale from 0% to 100%. Whether you prefer unprocessed RAW purity, fully enhanced photos, or something in between, Process Control ensures your creative vision comes to life. Process Control photos open directly in the editor, ready for finishing touches. Seamless Image Browser Relive your memories in a swipe with our easy-to-use image browser. Browse through your recent captures, get detailed insights about each photo, move smoothly into the editor, and share or delete with a single tap. Why Choose Photon? Simple, clutter-free interface designed for focused photography A native camera experience on iPad Capture in any format you like, including True RAW, ProRAW, HEIF, JPEG, and JPEG XL (iPhone 16 Pro and later). Or combine RAW and non-RAW formats. Instant access to manual controls, including Best-on-iPhone focus tools and manual aperture on iPhone 18 Pro, also through Camera Control Smart Selection, Blur, and Sharpen for precise, targeted edits Professional tools like live exposure, histogram, level, focus peaking, loupe, timer, exposure clipping, reliable RAW burst shooting, and external storage (iPhone 15 Pro and later) A user-friendly image browser that doubles as your digital photo album Photon Studio companion app that shows a live preview as you shoot your photos! Free for all Photon Pro users. Join the community of aspiring photographers taking their iPhone and iPad photography to the next level with Photon. It is not just a camera; it is a tool to unleash your creative vision. Download now and start capturing the world around you in stunning detail. You can review terms of use at https://photon.cam/terms/.

About

Piko

Read full description

Piko makes it simple to organize your photo library, one photo or video at a time. Choose how you want to begin: review everything, open a random group of 100 items, revisit memories from this day or last year, find screenshots and unsorted videos, or browse by month. Review each item and choose Keep or Delete. You can undo decisions, view everything you’ve kept, and check the deletion queue before removing anything. Piko never deletes photos or videos until you review and confirm the deletion. With Piko, you can: • Review photos and videos in a clear, focused view • Organize a random selection of 100 items • Rediscover memories with On This Day and Last Year • Quickly find screenshots and videos to sort • Browse and organize your library by month • Review the deletion queue before confirming • Add items to albums in Photos app • Mark favorites and share your media • Set a daily reminder to organize your memories Whether you want to clear unwanted media or bring more order to your library, Piko helps you move through your collection at your own pace.

Screenshots

Photon Camera4 screens
Piko3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Piko at none against Photon Camera's 3. Piko also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.5 vs 26.0). Photon Camera's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Photon Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Piko asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Photon Camera ships an update every 3 weeks, Piko every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Photon Camera versus Piko: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhoton CameraPiko
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (71 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews24.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings71 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLateNiteSoft S.L.Abdullah Hariri

Bugs and requests

Photon Camera

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Manual mode crashes
  • Inability to access external storage
  • Incompatibility with certain devices
  • Unreliable photo saving and syncing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bracketed HDR mode
  • Customizable white balance controls
  • Landscape orientation support
  • Macro mode
  • Integration with other photo apps

Piko

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Photon Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-time purchase$39.99
None

Piko

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Photon Camera free?
Photon Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Piko free?
Piko is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Photon Camera or Piko have ads?
Neither Photon Camera nor Piko shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Photon Camera or Piko?
Photon Camera ships an update every 3 weeks, and Piko every 2 days. Most recently, Photon Camera was updated on November 2, 2026 and Piko on October 31, 2026.

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