Comparison

Lightme vs Light Meter Ultra

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

Head to head
About

Lightme

This powerful light meter app offers a clean, intuitive interface optimized for one-handed use. It displays multiple aperture and shutter speed combinations simultaneously, aiding quick setting selection. Suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike, it includes advanced features like spot metering, reciprocity failure compensation, and pinhole mode.

Highlights
  • Multiple exposure settings display
  • One-handed operation
  • Spot metering with zoom
  • Reciprocity failure compensation
  • Pinhole mode
  • Incident light metering
  • Film database
Features
Read full description

Lightme - Lightmeter is a clean, simple to use yet very powerful lightmeter. It is optimised for an easy one-handed use, both for left-handed and right-handed users, with the main controls within your thumb's reach, without the fatiguing juggling of your precious smartphone. A core distinguishing feature of Lightme - Lightmeter is that - differently from most of the other apps - it can show multiple combinations of valid settings for aperture and shutterspeed at the same time by working like a - stretched out - old needle and wheel lightmeter. This allows the user to quickly pick the desired settings without having to scroll on a tiny wheel picker. The app is designed to be welcoming to people who are just starting out, with a simple one-button use. But it offers many useful and advanced features for the more experienced shooters/users: Continuous metering (by pressing and holding or double tapping the measure button) Spot metering with a variable zoom (for more precision) which also supports average metering, and a very intuitive implementation of the zone system Automatic reciprocity failure compensation (for 25+ films, if you see exposure times in red, they are being compensated) A dedicated pinhole mode with precise exposure times for user defined apertures (multiple apertures at a time), with the possibility of setting a timer (through a shortcut) Incident light metering with calibration when using the front facing camera And more ... It also includes some other features that are enjoyable by any kind of user: Black and white preview The ability to use any of the cameras on your smartphone (swipe left/right on the preview) Multiple presets for your different camera/film/lens setups Framelines for previewing your shot, before setting up your tripod etc. A searchable list of useful tips to make better use of the application's potential A searchable list of more than 70 films to choose from with the possibility of selecting a few favourites Dark mode support and a useful level of customisation You can find even more info in the tips inside the app or you can have a look at full user manual by tapping on manual (in the settings) The app is free in all its many functionalities, but it offers In-App-Purchases in order to support the project. The only minor perk you can enable only via certain IAPs is the replacement of the Ad button with a label containing the name of your current preset, check under settings -> coffee for more info. Don't panic though, even if there's an Ad button it doesn't mean I'm going to show you ads. In fact unless you decide to tap on that button I'm never going to show you any. But if you have a few minutes to spare, watching a few of them sure helps keeping this project alive :) Try it, and, if you like it, share it with your friends and consider writing a (mini) review ;) Have a nice day, and good light!

About

Light Meter Ultra

This app provides precise light metering for film photography, eliminating the need for external hardware. It offers various metering modes and customizable profiles to ensure perfect exposures for manual cameras. Advanced features like reciprocity failure correction are available with a PRO plan.

Highlights
  • Aperture Priority Metering
  • Shutter Priority Metering
  • Exposure Priority Metering
  • Customizable ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture
  • Exposure Compensation
  • Reciprocity Failure Correction
  • Custom Camera Profiles
Read full description

Fast, precise and easy to use. Get perfect exposures every time. No additional hardware required. Say goodbye to arcane Sunny 16. Figuring out the best exposure settings for your manual camera doesn’t have to be difficult. Light Meter Ultra for iPhone gives you the exact readings you need for your camera by simply pointing your device at the scene. Precise measurements mean you can dial in the perfect exposure settings for capturing the widest dynamic range, whilst customizable shooting profiles allow you to switch between settings with a single tap. Download now and take advantage of our free plan which includes our precision Aperture Priority metering mode, limited settings, and single-use shooting profiles. Or choose one of our PRO plans and gain access to everything the app has to offer, including our full suite of professional metering modes, quick-select reusable shooting profiles, plus advanced features such as reciprocity failure correction that you won't find elsewhere. Capture your creative vision with powerful features, including: - Aperture Priority Metering Mode - Shutter Priority Metering Mode* - Exposure Priority Metering Mode* - Stop increment selection of full, half or third stops* - Customizable ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture ranges* - Exposure Compensation - Exposure Lock - Sample Offset - Custom Camera Profiles* - Detachable Lens Profiles* - Film/Emulsion Profiles* - Bulb-mode* - Reciprocity Failure Correction* *Features marked with an asterisk require an active PRO plan Download now and start metering on your iPhone today. Terms of Use: https://lightmeterultra.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://lightmeterultra.com/privacy

Screenshots

Lightme4 screens
Light Meter Ultra4 screens

Verdict

The call

Lightme and Light Meter Ultra both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Lightme's written reviews are positive against 38% of Light Meter Ultra's. Lightme also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). Light Meter Ultra's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Light Meter Ultra sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 942 and 738 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Lightme's written reviews are positive against 38% of Light Meter Ultra's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightme ships an update every 3 weeks, Light Meter Ultra every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lightme versus Light Meter Ultra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightmeLight Meter Ultra
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (942 ratings) — better4.7 (738 ratings)
Positive reviews90.7% of reviews — better37.9% of reviews
Number of ratings942 — better738
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiuseppe BertoliniUltrafine

Customer experience

Lightme

All ratings925 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews214 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.5%

Light Meter Ultra

All ratings738 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive37.9%
Neutral11.5%
Negative50.6%

User reviews

Lightme

From 942 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate metering
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
  • 💡 Comprehensive features (spot metering, zone system, film stock selection, etc.)
  • 🚀 Consistently accurate exposures
  • 👍 Thoughtful design with user's needs in mind

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 👎 Confusing or cluttered interface for some users
  • 👎 Tedious film selection process
  • 🐛 Inaccurate metering in certain lighting conditions

Light Meter Ultra

From 738 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate and fast metering
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Customizable settings (aperture, shutter, ISO)
  • 🔍 Useful for analog/film photography

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
  • 🐛 Unreliable performance in low-light conditions
  • 📱 Requires internet connection for full functionality

Bugs and requests

Lightme

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 16
  • Metering issues with certain camera/lens combinations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add shutter angle adjustment for cinematography
  • Implement ISO lock feature
  • Add more film stock profiles
  • Improve film selection process (e.g. search, categories)
  • Provide more customization options (e.g. interface themes)

Light Meter Ultra

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Camera integration issues causing failed exposures
  • Inconsistent metering results compared to standalone meters

Requested features

4 requests
  • Offline mode for remote shooting
  • Wider aperture and shutter speed range
  • Support for more camera/film types
  • Customizable exposure bias/compensation

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Lightme

One-time6
  • Espresso ristretto$1.99
  • Pecorino Romano$4.99
  • Guanciale$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Parmigiano$16.99
  • Pizza for two$29.99
  • Do this full-time$59.99
3 purchases

Light Meter Ultra

Subscriptions3
  • Light Meter7 Days trial2 variants$7.997 Days
  • Light Meter2 variants$11.991 Month
  • Light Meter2 variants$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Lightme free?
Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Light Meter Ultra free?
Light Meter Ultra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightme or Light Meter Ultra?
Lightme is rated higher. Lightme averages 4.8 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while Light Meter Ultra averages 4.7 from 738 ratings.
Do Lightme or Light Meter Ultra have ads?
Neither Lightme nor Light Meter Ultra shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightme or Light Meter Ultra?
Lightme ships an update every 3 weeks, and Light Meter Ultra every 8 days. Most recently, Lightme was updated on October 27, 2026 and Light Meter Ultra on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons