# Filmic Firstlight vs Backdrop Box

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backdrop Box at none against Filmic Firstlight's 13. Filmic Firstlight's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Filmic Firstlight sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Backdrop Box asks for nothing beyond the download.

Filmic Firstlight ships an update every 2 months, Backdrop Box every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Filmic Firstlight | Backdrop Box |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (919 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmic-firstlight-photo-app/id1482338564/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **919** | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 126 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bending Spoons Apps ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280299077) | [Matthew Jones](https://appshunter.io/developer/1533134252) |

## What reviewers say

### Filmic Firstlight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmic-firstlight-photo-app/id1482338564)

This camera app offers a creative and fun photography experience with custom film simulations and adaptive film grain. It provides advanced yet approachable controls for focus, exposure, and image aesthetics, allowing users to capture and share stunning photos with a vintage analog vibe without extensive post-editing.

**Highlights:** Custom film simulations, Adaptive film grain, Live analytics, Manual focus and exposure controls, Vintage film looks, Burst mode, DNG, TIFF, JPG, HEIC export

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FirstLight Weekly With FT | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| FirstLight Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Bundle with Free Trial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Bundle Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| FirstLight Yearly With FT | $9.99 | per year |
| Weekly Bundle with Free Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Bundle Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| FirstLight Weekly | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle with Free Trial | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Super Bundle with FT | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth interface
- 🎨 Excellent film emulations and grain
- 👍 Intuitive controls
- 📷 Good image quality
- 💡 Anamorphic de-squeeze feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📂 Inconvenient file management
- 💰 Subscription model
- 🔍 Limited manual controls

**Reported bugs**

- RAW files appear blurry
- Incompatibility with iPhone 14 Pro
- Inconsistent behavior with lens switching
- Inability to export DNG files
- HDR setting resets on app launch

**Requested features**

- Ability to save preferred filters
- White balance control
- Longer shutter speed
- Digital zoom
- Horizontal shooting


### Backdrop Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backdrop-box/id6740093832)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Filmic Firstlight free?

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

### Is Backdrop Box free?

Backdrop Box is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Filmic Firstlight or Backdrop Box have ads?

Neither Filmic Firstlight nor Backdrop Box shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Filmic Firstlight or Backdrop Box?

Filmic Firstlight ships an update every 2 months, and Backdrop Box every 10 months. Most recently, Filmic Firstlight was updated on October 29, 2026 and Backdrop Box on October 11, 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.*