Comparison

Photone vs Libre Light Sensor

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

Head to head
About

Photone

This app acts as a professional-grade light meter for plants, measuring PAR, PPFD, DLI, and more using your device's camera. It helps optimize plant lighting by providing accurate readings and in-app guides, with optional advanced features available through purchase.

Highlights
  • Measure PAR, PPFD, DLI, lux, foot-candles, and kelvin
  • Research-grade accuracy using device camera
  • Pre-calibrated for specific devices
  • In-app guides and tools
  • Light source selection for various grow lights
  • Hands-free 'read aloud' function
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a PAR meter. Measure PPFD, DLI, lux, foot-candles, and color temperature (kelvin) to give your plants exactly the light they need. Trusted by millions of growers, Photone is the only accurate plant light meter app. How much light do your plants really get? Are your lamps hung too high, dimmed too low, or on for too long? Whether you grow houseplants or use a grow tent, greenhouse, hydroponics system, or aquarium, Photone answers these questions and more. Photone is more than just a PAR meter: it gives you the tools and guidance to understand the numbers. MEASUREMENTS ⎷ Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) as PPFD in µmol/m²/s ⎷ Daily Light Integral (DLI) in mol/m²/d ⎷ Illuminance in lux or foot-candles ⎷ Correlated color temperature (CCT) in kelvin * ⎷ Extended PAR (ePAR) including far-red light (ePPFD, eDLI) * FEATURES ⎷ Industry-leading accuracy ⎷ Heatmaps — Create PAR maps, PPFD maps, DLI maps, lux maps, and export them as images ⎷ Logging — Track measurements over time as an interactive chart, Auto-Log sessions, and export or import them ⎷ Projected DLI — Get the daily light your plants receive instantly by entering how long your lamps are on ← perfect for grow lights ⎷ Actual DLI — Leave your device in place and use Auto-Log to sum up the light throughout the day ← perfect when measuring sunlight ⎷ In-app guides ⎷ Light calculators and recommendations ⎷ Excellent low light sensitivity to detect light pollution for plants ⎷ Custom calibration option to align readings to another meter ⎷ No Bluetooth and location permission required ⎷ No ads ⎷ All grow light sources supported (Natural sunlight, LEDs, HPS, MH, etc.) * ⎷ Photone for Apple Watch — monitor live readings from your wrist * ⎷ Average and peak readings * ⎷ Hands-free "read aloud" function * ⎷ Special underwater measurement mode * ⎷ Pro support by real human experts * * These features require an in-app purchase to fully unlock HOW ACCURATE IS PHOTONE? Photone matches the accuracy of professional handheld PAR quantum sensors costing hundreds of dollars. Here's how: ⎷ RAW sensor data — capture true light intensity using the camera, the most precise sensor in your device ⎷ Pre-calibrated per device model ⎷ Developed according to the ISO/CIE 19476 standard for light measurement ⎷ Continuously tested — we regularly calibrate and test on new devices DIFFUSER REQUIRED Like every real light meter, Photone requires a diffuser to measure accurately. A diffuser scatters incoming light evenly on the sensor and prevents hotspots. While it may sound complex, the solution is surprisingly easy. You have two options: 1) Easily build a diffuser yourself in less than a minute using standard printer paper. This is accurate enough for most use cases. 2) Get the dedicated Diffuser Accessory (free worldwide shipping) for best accuracy and convenience. More details on https://lightray.io/diffuser/ (!) Do not rely on apps that do not require a diffuser. They are inaccurate because they ignore the basic physics of light measurement. UPGRADE OPTIONS Photone is free to download and use, with no ads or hidden costs. To unleash its full potential, it offers two types of upgrades: → Lifetime unlocks — one-time purchase, always restorable via your Apple Account → Pro subscription — full access for as long as you subscribe, cancel anytime Photone took 7+ years of R&D to develop. Upgrading unlocks powerful features and keeps the app ad-free for everyone. As a member of 1% for the Planet, we donate at least 1% of all revenue to environmental non-profits — so every purchase helps both your plants and the planet. Terms and Conditions: https://growlightmeter.com/terms/

About

Libre Light Sensor

Measure ambient light levels in Lux using your iPhone's camera. Optimize sleep quality by understanding light exposure throughout the day and night.

Highlights
  • Measure light in Lux
  • Utilizes iPhone camera
  • Optimize sleep quality
  • Track light exposure
Read full description

Measure light levels in any environment. Libre Light Sensor leverages your iPhone's camera to calculate luminosity as measured in Lux. This allows you to determine how much light exposure your eyes are receiving when you wake up, during the day, and before bed in order to optimize your sleep quality.

Screenshots

Photone4 screens
Libre Light Sensor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Libre Light Sensor at none against Photone's 13. Libre Light Sensor also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 54%). Photone's advantage is ratings volume (4.9K vs 186) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Photone sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. Libre Light Sensor asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Photone against 4.8 for Libre Light Sensor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Photone has 4.9K ratings behind it against 186, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Photone's written reviews are positive against 82% of Libre Light Sensor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Photone ships an update every 3 weeks, Libre Light Sensor every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Photone versus Libre Light Sensor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhotoneLibre Light Sensor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.9K ratings)4.8 (186 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews82.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.9K — better186
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLightray Innovation GmbHJohn Harrington

Customer experience

Photone

All ratings4,946 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews240 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral5.8%
Negative40.4%

Libre Light Sensor

All ratings113 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.6%

Bugs and requests

Photone

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Readings don't change with proximity
  • Diffuser requirement not made clear upfront
  • Purchased features not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add calibration feature
  • Expand supported light types in free version
  • Improve accuracy across different devices
  • Provide a one-time purchase option instead of subscription

Libre Light Sensor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Photone

Subscriptions2
  • Photone Pro (Monthly)$5.491 Month
  • Photone Pro (Yearly)$29.491 Year
One-time11
  • MH lifetime unlock$5.49
  • HPS (Standard) lifetime unlock$5.49
  • HPS DE lifetime unlock$5.49
Show 8 more
  • FL (Daylight) Lifetime Unlock$5.49
  • Sun Lifetime Unlock$5.49
  • LED Full Spec. lifetime unlock$6.49
  • LED (Red / Blue) Lifetime Unlock$6.49
  • LED (Blue / White) Lifetime Unlock$6.49
  • LED (Full Spectrum) Lifetime Unlock$6.49
  • LED (Full Spectrum + Red) Lifetime$6.49
  • Photone Pro Lifetime Unlock$97.00
None

Libre Light Sensor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Photone free?
Photone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Libre Light Sensor free?
Libre Light Sensor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Photone or Libre Light Sensor?
Libre Light Sensor is rated higher. Photone averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.9K ratings, while Libre Light Sensor averages 4.8 from 186 ratings.
Do Photone or Libre Light Sensor have ads?
Neither Photone nor Libre Light Sensor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Photone or Libre Light Sensor?
Photone ships an update every 3 weeks, and Libre Light Sensor every 5 weeks. Most recently, Photone was updated on October 25, 2026 and Libre Light Sensor on October 25, 2026.

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