# Lightme vs Phaos

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phaos at none against Lightme's 6. Phaos also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Lightme's advantage is ratings volume (940 vs 4) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Phaos asks for nothing beyond the download.

Phaos holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 940 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Lightme ships an update every 3 weeks, Phaos every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lightme | Phaos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (940 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phaos/id6760268838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **940** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Giuseppe Bertolini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509033789) | [DANIELLE MARIE HONAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877169804) |

## 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)


### Phaos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phaos/id6760268838)

This app offers a unique social feed experience focused entirely on film photography. Users can upload complete film rolls, post individual images with detailed metadata, and browse a chronological feed without algorithmic interference. Explore content by camera, lens, or film stock.

**Highlights:** Upload complete film rolls, Post images with metadata, Chronological feed, no algorithm, Explore by camera, lens, film stock, View rolls as contact sheets, Expired film tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lightme free?

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

### Is Phaos free?

Phaos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lightme or Phaos?

Phaos is rated higher. Lightme averages 4.8 out of 5 from 940 ratings, while Phaos averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Lightme or Phaos have ads?

Neither Lightme nor Phaos shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lightme or Phaos?

Lightme ships an update every 3 weeks, and Phaos every 5 days. Most recently, Lightme was updated on October 23, 2026 and Phaos on October 9, 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.*