# Photone vs SANlight

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.

Both are free to download. Photone sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. SANlight asks for nothing beyond the download.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Photone | SANlight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photone-grow-light-meter/id1450079523/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lightray Innovation GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1031383431) | [Martin Anker](https://appshunter.io/developer/1658513710) |

## What reviewers say

### Photone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photone-grow-light-meter/id1450079523)

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:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photone Pro (Monthly) | $5.49 | per month |
| Photone Pro (Yearly) | $29.49 | per year |
| MH lifetime unlock | $5.49 | one-time |
| HPS (Standard) lifetime unlock | $5.49 | one-time |
| HPS DE lifetime unlock | $5.49 | one-time |
| FL (Daylight) Lifetime Unlock | $5.49 | one-time |
| Sun Lifetime Unlock | $5.49 | one-time |
| LED Full Spec. lifetime unlock | $6.49 | one-time |
| LED (Red / Blue) Lifetime Unlock | $6.49 | one-time |
| LED (Blue / White) Lifetime Unlock | $6.49 | one-time |
| LED (Full Spectrum) Lifetime Unlock | $6.49 | one-time |
| LED (Full Spectrum + Red) Lifetime | $6.49 | one-time |
| Photone Pro Lifetime Unlock | $97.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate readings
- 💡 Helpful for growing plants
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Saves money compared to expensive meters
- 👍 Useful for adjusting lighting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent readings
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔒 Requires additional equipment (diffuser) to work properly
- 🐛 Readings not accurate without calibration
- 🔒 Limited functionality in free version

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sanlight/id1658513708)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*