# Zone Tool vs phNotes Pro

The clearest difference is update cadence: phNotes Pro at every 6 weeks against Zone Tool's every 38 months. Zone Tool's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $5.99) and chart position (#197 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Zone Tool costs $0.99 and phNotes Pro $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Zone Tool ships an update every 38 months, phNotes Pro every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 24, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zone Tool | phNotes Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $5.99 |
| Rating | **[2.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zone-tool/id1489637620/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#197** | — |
| Size | 0 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jouni Erola](https://appshunter.io/developer/295758397) | [Marco Ristuccia](https://appshunter.io/developer/904590499) |

## What reviewers say

### Zone Tool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zone-tool/id1489637620)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Calculate photographic exposure and development adjustments using zone system theory. Measure shadows and highlights, input film ISO and desired shutter speed to determine aperture and development time modifications.

**Highlights:** Zone system exposure calculation, Shadow and highlight measurement, Film ISO input, Shutter speed adjustment, Development time calculation, Aperture determination

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### phNotes Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phnotes-pro/id1505347354)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zone Tool free?

Zone Tool costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is phNotes Pro free?

phNotes Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Zone Tool or phNotes Pro have ads?

Neither Zone Tool nor phNotes Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zone Tool or phNotes Pro?

Zone Tool ships an update every 38 months, and phNotes Pro every 6 weeks. Most recently, Zone Tool was updated on August 24, 2026 and phNotes Pro on September 17, 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.*