# Spectre Camera vs Afterlight

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Afterlight at 90% against Spectre Camera's 46%. Afterlight also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Spectre Camera's advantage is monetization model (paid vs subscription) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 171). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spectre Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Afterlight sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Afterlight holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spectre Camera has 2.4K ratings behind it against 171, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Spectre Camera's written reviews are positive against 90% of Afterlight's.

Spectre Camera ships an update every 3 months, Afterlight fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spectre Camera | Afterlight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectre-camera/id1450074595/reviews) | **[4.6 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterlight-video-editor/id1622663208/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 171 |
| Positive reviews | 45.6% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Paid** | Subscription |
| Size | 12 MB | 251 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lux Optics Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/885697371) | [Afterlight Collective, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/573116093) |

## What reviewers say

### Spectre Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectre-camera/id1450074595)

This app uses AI to create stunning long exposure photographs, making it easy to capture professional-quality shots. Remove crowds, create light trails, and achieve silky smooth water effects effortlessly.

**Highlights:** AI-powered long exposures, Crowd removal, Light trail creation, Silky water effects, Live Photos and video support, Automatic scene detection

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spectre Pro | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔍 Captures great long exposure shots
- 👍 Convenient and intuitive
- 🎨 Allows for creative photography
- 💡 Innovative features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Blurry images even with stabilization
- 🔋 Battery draining issue
- 🤔 Limited exposure time options
- 🤷‍♀️ Inconsistent performance
- 💰 Paid features not worth the cost

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes on some devices
- Compatibility issues with older iPhones
- Focusing and stabilization problems

**Requested features**

- Longer exposure time options
- More manual control over settings
- Raw image format support
- Apple Watch remote support
- Improved low-light performance


### Afterlight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterlight-video-editor/id1622663208)

Create film-inspired aesthetics for your videos with one-tap presets, authentic overlays, and a range of creative editing tools. Enhance your clips with filters, transitions, and detailed adjustments for a cinematic look.

**Highlights:** One-tap vintage presets, Authentic film overlays, Seamless clip transitions, 32 creative filters, Precise clip editing tools, Advanced adjustment tools

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| PRO Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| PRO Lifetime | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Great vintage effects
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🌟 Good for quick edits
- 🎬 Film effects and presets
- 🎨 Interesting and fun colors

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 Videos darken on export
- ⏳ App not updated in years
- 🎦 Lacks many features

**Reported bugs**

- Exporting darkens videos
- Videos darken when uploaded to Instagram Stories

**Requested features**

- Add more filters & presets
- Add more vintage effect variations
- Add text adding features
- Add 4K export at 60fps
- Revamp the whole system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spectre Camera free?

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

### Is Afterlight free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spectre Camera or Afterlight?

Afterlight is rated higher. Spectre Camera averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Afterlight averages 4.6 from 171 ratings.

### Do Spectre Camera or Afterlight have ads?

Neither Spectre Camera nor Afterlight shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spectre Camera or Afterlight?

Spectre Camera ships an update every 3 months, and Afterlight fortnightly. Most recently, Spectre Camera was updated on October 29, 2026 and Afterlight on October 22, 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.*