Luxilux Light Meter vs illumeter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Luxilux Light Meter
This app functions as a portable light meter for photographers, especially those using film cameras without built-in meters. It allows for precise exposure readings, offers various shooting modes, and lets you save your settings with preview images.
- Average and spot metering
- Aperture priority mode
- Shutter priority mode
- Manual exposure mode
- Save exposure settings with photos
- Customizable camera profiles
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You like using your old film camera but it doesn't have a built-in light meter? The built-in meter is broken or requires special batteries? With Luxilux you always have a light meter in your pocket. --- METERING --- Luxilux will take an average reading of the image you see in the preview. Specify the area for the meter reading even more accurately by zooming in or out. If your device has two or three back cameras, you can switch between them. You can also tap on points of interest to expose correctly for them. --- MODES --- Use Luxilux in aperture priority mode (Av) by choosing the ISO and aperture, and Luxilux will calculate the right shutter speed to get a proper exposure. Use it in shutter priority mode (Tv) by choosing the ISO and the shutter speed, and Luxilux will calculate the right aperture to get a proper exposure. Manual mode (M) lets you change all values and shows you how much they differ from the calculated optimal exposure. --- SAVE EXPOSURES --- Tap "Save" and the currently selected settings are saved alongside a preview image into your photo library. If you give location permission you can also save where the measurement was taken. You can view your saved photos in Luxilux or in the Photos app. --- PROFILES --- You can choose between full stops, half stops or third stops for ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Specify the minimum and maximum values that your combination of camera, lens and film supports. Save these settings in profiles so you can quickly recall them.
illumeter
This app functions as a portable light meter, allowing users to measure exposure values like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It offers features for logging shots with location and settings, and provides customization options for a personalized user experience.
- Exposure measurement (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO)
- Tap-to-focus exposure lock
- Exposure compensation
- Frame logging with location and settings
- List and map view of logged frames
- Customizable settings and appearance
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illumeter, The Simplest Light Meter in Your Pocket. Exposure Meter • Choose the value you want to measure from Aperture, Shutter Speed, or ISO. • The selected value automatically adjusts based on changes in the other two settings. • Tap a specific point on the screen to lock the exposure to that area. • An exposure compensation feature is provided to help you handle various challenging lighting conditions. Frame Logging • Log your frames by composing your shot and pressing the shutter button. • Location, date and time, EV value, and settings are recorded with each frame. • Review your recorded frames in a list and on a map. • Easily delete or edit incorrect frames. Settings & Personalization • Easily toggle various features on or off. • Deactivate or remove unused values. • Customize the app's appearance and feedback to your preference.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: illumeter at Free against Luxilux Light Meter's $5.99. illumeter also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Luxilux Light Meter's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (75 vs 11). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
illumeter is free to download; Luxilux Light Meter costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Luxilux Light Meter holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luxilux Light Meter has 75 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of Luxilux Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 100% of illumeter's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Luxilux Light Meter ships an update every 6 weeks, illumeter every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and July 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Luxilux Light Meter | illumeter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (75 ratings) — better | 4.6 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 75 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christian Lobach | Seunghun Yang |
Customer experience
Luxilux Light Meter
illumeter
In-app purchases
Luxilux Light Meter
No in-app purchases
illumeter
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Luxilux Light Meter free?
Is illumeter free?
Which has better reviews, Luxilux Light Meter or illumeter?
Do Luxilux Light Meter or illumeter have ads?
Which is updated more often, Luxilux Light Meter or illumeter?
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