Comparison

Photone vs SANlight

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 or PDFs ⎷ 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

SANlight

Features
Read full description

The SANlight app to control the brightness of SANlight grow LEDs connected to a Bluetooth dimmer. Please note: You'll need a dimmable SANlight LED lamp connected to a SANlight dimmer to make use of this app. For feedback and support please use the "Contact Support" button on the Information screen.

Screenshots

Photone4 screens
SANlight3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SANlight at none against Photone's 13. Photone's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. SANlight asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Photone ships an update monthly, SANlight every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Photone versus SANlight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhotoneSANlight
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.9K — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLightray Innovation GmbHMartin Anker

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

SANlight

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

SANlight

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Photone free?
Photone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SANlight free?
SANlight is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Photone or SANlight have ads?
Neither Photone nor SANlight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Photone or SANlight?
Photone ships an update monthly, and SANlight every 6 months. Most recently, Photone was updated on October 16, 2026 and SANlight on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons