# Capture One vs Elinchrom

The clearest difference is rating: Elinchrom at 4.5 against Capture One's 3.5. Elinchrom also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (33% vs 18%). Capture One's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (329 vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Capture One sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month. Elinchrom asks for nothing beyond the download.

Elinchrom holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Capture One has 329 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Capture One's written reviews are positive against 33% of Elinchrom's.

Capture One ships an update fortnightly, Elinchrom every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Capture One | Elinchrom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (329 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capture-one/id1514081672/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elinchrom/id1522019394/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **329** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 18.0% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1.2 GB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Capture One A/S](https://appshunter.io/developer/404906438) | [ELINCHROM SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/420885635) |

## What reviewers say

### Capture One

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capture-one/id1514081672)

Edit and organize RAW photos on your mobile device, tethering directly to your camera. Collaborate with clients in real-time, apply edits instantly, and maintain incredible color quality. Seamlessly transfer your work to desktop for final touches.

**Highlights:** Retouch Faces, Sessions Support, External Storage backup, Tether camera to mobile, Real-time image review, Instant sharing and collaboration, Apply edits as you shoot, RAW conversion and color editing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capture One mobile | $10.99 | per month |
| All in One | $39.99 | per month |
| Capture One mobile | $109.00 | per year |
| All in One | $294.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent tethering capability
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🚀 Fast image rendering
- 👍 Great for culling and rating photos on the go
- 👍 Seamless integration with desktop Capture One

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Requires separate subscription even for desktop users
- 👎 Severely limited editing features compared to desktop version
- 👎 Slow cloud sync and lack of external storage support
- 👎 Unintuitive file management and export workflow

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in due to keyboard not appearing
- Inconsistent behavior when importing and exporting photos
- Crashes when attempting to use certain editing features
- Issues with wireless tethering and connection stability

**Requested features**

- Add layers, masks, curves, and other advanced editing tools
- Enable direct import from camera/SD card, not just cloud sync
- Allow opening and editing desktop Capture One sessions/catalogs
- Improve tethering functionality with live view and camera control
- Provide option to purchase app outright instead of subscription


### Elinchrom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elinchrom/id1522019394)

Control Elinchrom lighting units remotely from your iPhone. Manage individual or multiple lights, save custom setups, and monitor unit status. Requires the Elinchrom Bridge module for full functionality.

**Highlights:** Control up to 20 lighting units, Individual or simultaneous control, Save and reload custom setups, User-friendly unit naming, Signal strength indication, Firmware update notifications

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Capture One free?

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

### Is Elinchrom free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Capture One or Elinchrom?

Elinchrom is rated higher. Capture One averages 3.5 out of 5 from 329 ratings, while Elinchrom averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Capture One or Elinchrom have ads?

Neither Capture One nor Elinchrom shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Capture One or Elinchrom?

Capture One ships an update fortnightly, and Elinchrom every 3 months. Most recently, Capture One was updated on October 17, 2026 and Elinchrom on October 3, 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.*