# Zone Tool vs The Darkroom Lab

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Zone Tool at 100% against The Darkroom Lab's 45%. Zone Tool also leads on iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.1). The Darkroom Lab's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (3.7 vs 2.8). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

The Darkroom Lab is free to download; Zone Tool costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Darkroom Lab holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Darkroom Lab has 90 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Zone Tool's written reviews are positive against 45% of The Darkroom Lab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Zone Tool ships an update every 38 months, The Darkroom Lab every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zone Tool | The Darkroom Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zone-tool/id1489637620/reviews) | **[3.7 (90 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkroom-lab/id1528784514/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **90** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 44.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 0 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jouni Erola](https://appshunter.io/developer/295758397) | [The Darkroom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528784516) |

## What reviewers say

### Zone Tool

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

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


### The Darkroom Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkroom-lab/id1528784514)

View your developed film photos as soon as they are scanned. This app connects you to a professional film developing service with decades of experience.

**Highlights:** View scanned film photos, Professional film developing, Experienced lab professionals, Access photos as soon as scanned

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zone Tool free?

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

### Is The Darkroom Lab free?

The Darkroom Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Zone Tool or The Darkroom Lab?

The Darkroom Lab is rated higher. Zone Tool averages 2.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while The Darkroom Lab averages 3.7 from 90 ratings.

### Do Zone Tool or The Darkroom Lab have ads?

Neither Zone Tool nor The Darkroom Lab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zone Tool or The Darkroom Lab?

Zone Tool ships an update every 38 months, and The Darkroom Lab every 3 weeks. Most recently, Zone Tool was updated on September 21, 2026 and The Darkroom Lab on October 16, 2026.

---

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