# Lightme vs Darkroom Assistant

The clearest difference is update cadence: Darkroom Assistant at every 4 days against Lightme's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Darkroom Assistant sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lightme ships an update every 3 weeks, Darkroom Assistant every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lightme | Darkroom Assistant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (925 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **925** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giuseppe Bertolini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509033789) | [Distinction Photo LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868141640) |

## What reviewers say

### Lightme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Espresso ristretto | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pecorino Romano | $4.99 | one-time |
| Guanciale | $9.99 | one-time |
| Parmigiano | $16.99 | one-time |
| Pizza for two | $29.99 | one-time |
| Do this full-time | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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)


### Darkroom Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkroom-assistant/id6757661002)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Darkroom Assistant Standard | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lightme free?

Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Darkroom Assistant free?

Darkroom Assistant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Lightme or Darkroom Assistant have ads?

Neither Lightme nor Darkroom Assistant shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lightme or Darkroom Assistant?

Lightme ships an update every 3 weeks, and Darkroom Assistant every 4 days. Most recently, Lightme was updated on October 17, 2026 and Darkroom Assistant on September 27, 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.*