Comparison

phNotes Pro vs Crown & Flint

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

phNotes Pro

Features
Read full description

*** If you like this app please take the time and leave a feedback, this will help me a lot in maintaining it and add additional features. Thank you! *** This simple but powerful app allows photographers who use manual lenses, technical/view cameras, adapted gears with digital or even analog film photography to take note of the most important parameters of each shot taken on the field. Additionally, with the Pro version all annotations can be easily exported through email or into your cloud storage. When back home/studio, the freely downloadable desktop companion application "PhotoAnnotator" can read the exported data and automatically write all annotations as EXIF/IPTC metadata into the corresponding image files (RAW, TIFF, JPEG, etc...). This is particularly useful in all cases where the shooting parameters are not automatically written by the camera into the image files. Your image and shooting annotations can then live together in one single file. FEATURES (PRO VERSION): - Supported annotations: image counter, shoot date, camera make and model, lens make and model, filter, shutter speed, aperture value, focus distance, shift and tilt movements, film, GPS location, additional notes. - GPS location automatically read from the iPhone's GPS system. - Ability to swipe-clone an existing image for fast editing in the field. - Ability to swipe-delete single photos. - Ability to manage a list of cameras. - Ability to manage a list of lenses. - Ability to manage a list of filters. - Ability to manage a list of films. - Ability to clear the whole session after having exported it. - Contextual help available. - Ability to save unlimited image entries (the LITE version is limited to 12 max). - Ability to export all data via the standard iOS sharing machanism. - The companion desktop app PhotoAnnotator can be freely downloaded at https://www.marcoristuccia.com/it/photoannotator - The companion desktop app PhotoAnnotator supports all the major RAW and image types (see the application description at the indicated web page for more details).

About

Crown & Flint

This app helps analog photographers manage their film, track camera settings, and meter light accurately. It allows users to record detailed metadata for each shot and organize their film collection from purchase to archival. The interface is optimized for ease of use, even for left-handed operation.

Highlights
  • Accurate light meter
  • Record camera and lens settings
  • Track film stock and metadata
  • Manage film collection lifecycle
  • Reference images for film identification
  • Optimized for left-handed operation
Features
Read full description

Level up your analog photography with Crown + Flint. Meter the light, keep track of camera settings, record location and reference images, manage your collection of film. LEVEL UP YOUR ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY - Accurate light meter uses your iPhone camera's advanced scene analysis to ensure perfect exposures. - Master your equipment, learn its strengths & quirks, and improve your skills by recording equipment settings with each shot. COLLECT METADATA - Film stock - Rated speed, and special notes - Camera and lens settings, and lens filters - Time, date, and location - Reference image for correlating with your film TRACK YOUR FILM - Know what film is loaded into which camera. - Manage your collection of film, from purchase, storage, shooting, development, and archival. - Reference images let you quickly identify your films after development. GETS OUT OF YOUR WAY - Optimized for left-handed operation so you don't have to put your camera down. - As easy to operate as a hand-held meter. - Never lose time fiddling with impossible settings, because Crown + Flint knows all about your equipment Free app version lets you record up to 5 rolls of film. When you're ready for more, upgrade in-app to unlimited films with Pro Mode

Screenshots

phNotes Pro4 screens
Crown & Flint4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Crown & Flint at Free against phNotes Pro's $5.99. Crown & Flint also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). phNotes Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Crown & Flint is free to download; phNotes Pro costs $5.99 up front. Crown & Flint sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. phNotes Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

phNotes Pro ships an update every 6 weeks, Crown & Flint every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
phNotes Pro versus Crown & Flint: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterphNotes ProCrown & Flint
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating—4.7 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—16 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB92 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarco RistucciaDon Goodman-Wilson

In-app purchases

None

phNotes Pro

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Crown & Flint

One-time1
  • Pro Mode$19.99

Questions

Is phNotes Pro free?
phNotes Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Crown & Flint free?
Crown & Flint is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do phNotes Pro or Crown & Flint have ads?
Neither phNotes Pro nor Crown & Flint shows ads.
Which is updated more often, phNotes Pro or Crown & Flint?
phNotes Pro ships an update every 6 weeks, and Crown & Flint every 9 days. Most recently, phNotes Pro was updated on November 7, 2026 and Crown & Flint on November 3, 2026.

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