Comparison

Luwian vs Cobalt Image

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

Head to head
About

Luwian

This app transforms your mobile device into a professional camera and editing suite. It offers comprehensive manual controls for capturing stunning photos and videos, along with advanced editing tools to refine your creations.

Highlights
  • Manual camera controls (ISO, Shutter, Focus, WB)
  • Extensive filters and creative effects
  • Professional video recording (Slow Motion, Time-lapse)
  • RAW photo editing
  • Perspective correction and cropping
  • Analog film and cinematic filters
  • Multi-camera recording
Features
Read full description

Luwian & Raw Magic Pro: Capture, Control, and Create Your Masterpiece Transform your mobile device into a professional photography. Luwian delivers complete manual control to capture your vision with DSLR-level precision, while Raw Magic Pro provides the all-in-one editing suite to turn every shot into a professional masterpiece. Designed for enthusiasts and experts alike, this is the ultimate toolkit to unleash your creative power. Take command of your camera with a sophisticated, intuitive interface that gives you precise, real-time manual control over every photographic element.Core Manual Controls Exposure Triangle: Full manual control over ISO, Shutter Speed, and Exposure. Focus Mastery: Precise Focus Control and Focus Lock White Balance: Both preset and custom adjustment options Zoom Control: Fine-tune your framing with smooth zoom Modes & Features Full Mode Suite: Includes Manual, Auto, Portrait Mode, and a Shutter Timer (3 to 15 seconds setup). Creative Optics: Analog Film Mode, Cinetone Filter Mode, and a huge selection of 40 Filters, 29 Virtual FX, 17 Analog Films, and 36 Classic Movie Tones. Professional Video: Switch between Normal, Slow Motion, and Time-lapse video recording (with speed adjustable from 2x to 10x). Advanced: Mega-lapse: Capture stunning 8K time-lapse videos. Long Exposure: Dedicated modes for Day and Night long exposure photography and videography. HDRi: Classical High Dynamic Range Imaging photography. Cinematic Capture: Cinematic video capture and editing. Specialty Modes: Traditional Panoramic Capture (three photo sequence), Green Screen Video Recorder, and Camera Trap for animal and person detection. Workflow Tools: Frame Capture (with automatic perspective adjustment), Consistent Color Photography for low-light environments. Multi-Camera Recording: Multi camera recording mode using all three cameras at the same time. Depth & Backdrop: True Depth Backdrop Camera. Raw Magic Pro: The Ultimate Editing Suite Go beyond basic filters. Raw Magic Pro provides the professional tools you need to refine, restore, and transform your images with unparalleled fidelity and artistic freedom.Core Editing & Precision RAW & Color Control: Dive deep into your RAW files for advanced color, contrast, and exposure precision. Complete control over every color channel with RGB Color Adjustment. Structural Integrity: Effortlessly perfect your composition with Photo Crop & Perspective Correction. Detailed Adjustment: Utilize Advanced Detailed Photo Adjustment to manipulate specific areas of your image. Cinematic & Artistic Flair Authentic Film Looks: Apply the nostalgic aesthetic of classic film stocks with a diverse library of Analog Films and Filters. Hollywood Mood: Instantly add the drama and style of blockbusters with Cinematic Filter Effects inspired by iconic classic movies. Restoration & Enhancement Digital Darkroom: A dedicated space for film photographers, allowing you to easily convert negative film photos to positive photos digitally. Clarity: Restore detail in high-ISO shots with the Noise Reduction Tool and recover underexposed images with Low Light Enhancement. Seamless Fixes: The Image Healer Tool lets you flawlessly remove unwanted objects, blemishes, or distractions. Image Quality: Image Super Resolution upscales your photos with incredible fidelity. Dynamic Range: Create stunning images with enhanced highlights and shadows using HDRI Imaging Algorithms. Colorize History: Breathe new life into black-and-white photos by intelligently adding realistic color with the Image Colorizer. Modern Tools & Workflow Instant Bokeh: Effortlessly apply a professional depth of field (bokeh) effect to any photo, giving your images a stunning, portrait-quality look. Background Control: Instantly and accurately isolate your subject and Remove the Background with a single tap, or use the Green Screen Editor for precision chroma keying. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Cobalt Image

Enhance your iPhone photos with advanced AI, HDR, and smart portrait modes. This app offers unparalleled control over non-raw images, featuring cutting-edge white balance and Luma curve adjustments. Access renowned digital and film emulations for professional-level editing.

Highlights
  • AI-enhanced picture processing
  • HDR and smart portrait modes
  • Advanced color models for HEIC files
  • Unprecedented control over non-raw photos
  • White balance and Luma curve adjustments
  • Renowned digital and film emulations
  • Direct editing from Apple Photos
Features
Read full description

Please note that Cobalt Image PHOTO is available through subscription plans. The Full Access Yearly subscription provides a 7-day trial period during which you can try the full app and decide to cancel at any time. Our Digital and Film packs are renowned for their accuracy and are now available for all images taken by your favorite device. Your AI-enhanced pictures with HDR and smart portrait mode will be the starting point for our emulations. Cobalt Image PHOTO introduces a new advanced tool powered by the latest color models, specifically designed for treating AI-enhanced iPhone HEIC files. Leveraging the best color science available, it enhances and edits your cherished memories captured by the iPhone. Experience unparalleled freedom with our image editor, where you’ll be astonished by the unprecedented level of control over your non-raw photos. Our advanced color pipeline, featuring cutting-edge white balance and Luma curve adjustments, elevates the app to extraordinary heights, setting a new standard in photo editing. Features: - A complete set of renowned emulations made by Cobalt, both Digital and Film (Film available on Full Access subscription) - Advanced BW scientific conversion - Advanced White Balance - Luma curve on CIECAM16 - RGB curves on ProPhoto - Brightness, Contrast, Saturation all on CIECAM16 - Clarity - Structure - Advanced grain - Vignette The app can also be accessed directly from Apple Photos through the sharing function, allowing for direct editing of the selected photo. Standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Luwian4 screens
Cobalt Image4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Luwian at 4.5 against Cobalt Image's 2.3. Luwian also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ratings volume (355 vs 6). Cobalt Image's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and review sentiment (56% vs 46%). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Luwian sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Cobalt Image sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Luwian holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luwian has 355 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Luwian's written reviews are positive against 56% of Cobalt Image's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Luwian ships an update every 2 weeks, Cobalt Image every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Luwian versus Cobalt Image: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuwianCobalt Image
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (355 ratings) — better2.3 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews45.6% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings355 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size211 MB203 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErkan SIRINCobalt Image LTD

Customer experience

Luwian

All ratings355 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative11.0%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive45.6%
Neutral5.8%
Negative48.5%

Cobalt Image

All ratings6 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative44.4%

Bugs and requests

Luwian

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes immediately on startup, especially on iPad
  • Memory issues preventing photo capture
  • Panorama mode requests landscape when already in landscape
  • Duplicate panorama files in camera roll
  • Image preview turns dark brown when changing lenses
Show 9 more
  • Film stock settings not persisting after photo capture
  • Video files not saving properly
  • High-resolution video cannot be saved
  • App freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • Orientation lock issues requiring phone restart
  • Lens selection buttons not responding correctly
  • HDR processing extremely slow with artificial shadows
  • Portrait mode UI elements blocking display on front camera
  • App doesn't open after recent updates

Requested features

7 requests
  • Better effects and filters library
  • Improved focus peeking for manual focus
  • Clearer user instructions and documentation
  • Better panorama handling with single output
  • Improved video editing and saving capabilities
Show 2 more
  • Dark mode option
  • Simplified UI with better organization

Cobalt Image

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Luwian

Subscriptions2
  • Luwian Pro Monthly Membership$2.991 Month
  • Luwian Pro Annual Membership7 Days trial$14.991 Year
3 purchases

Cobalt Image

Subscriptions3
  • Cobalt Image Pro Digital$3.491 Month
  • Cobalt Image Pro Monthly$5.491 Month
  • Cobalt Image Pro Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year

Questions

Is Luwian free?
Luwian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cobalt Image free?
Cobalt Image is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Luwian or Cobalt Image?
Luwian is rated higher. Luwian averages 4.5 out of 5 from 355 ratings, while Cobalt Image averages 2.3 from 6 ratings.
Do Luwian or Cobalt Image have ads?
Neither Luwian nor Cobalt Image shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Luwian or Cobalt Image?
Luwian ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cobalt Image every 5 days. Most recently, Luwian was updated on November 7, 2026 and Cobalt Image on November 3, 2026.

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