The Darkroom Lab vs FieldNotes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Darkroom Lab
View your developed film photos as soon as they are scanned. This app connects you to a professional film developing service with decades of experience.
- View scanned film photos
- Professional film developing
- Experienced lab professionals
- Access photos as soon as scanned
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Since 1976 The Darkroom has developed literally millions of rolls of film with experienced lab professionals and film enthusiasts This free app enables you to view your photos as soon as they've been scanned in the lab.
FieldNotes
This app transforms screenshots and photos into organized, searchable entries, decluttering your camera roll. It automatically identifies key information like links and keywords, creating a private archive of your discoveries without ads or feeds.
- Screenshot and photo capture
- Automatic text and keyword detection
- Organized categories
- Instant search functionality
- Deletes original images
- On-device processing for privacy
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A clean archive for everything you discover. This app turns screenshots and quick photos into simple, searchable entries — so you can save what you find without filling your camera roll with clutter. Saw a jacket you like. Got a book recommendation. Found a restaurant on TikTok. Spotted a design idea in real life. Capture it fast. The app reads the image and saves the important part as a clean item you can revisit anytime. Built for curious, tapped-in people • Upload screenshots or snap photos directly in the app • Automatically detects titles, links, brands, and keywords • Organizes finds into simple categories • Search your archive instantly • Delete the original images and keep the memory Over time, it becomes a personal record of your taste — not another messy gallery. Minimal by design No ads. No feeds. No pressure. Just a calm place to store what caught your eye. All processing happens on-device, so your discoveries stay private. Start noticing again. Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: FieldNotes at 5.0 against The Darkroom Lab's 3.7. FieldNotes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). The Darkroom Lab's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (89 vs 3). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. FieldNotes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. The Darkroom Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.
FieldNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Darkroom Lab has 89 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
The Darkroom Lab ships an update every 3 weeks, FieldNotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Darkroom Lab | FieldNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (89 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 89 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Darkroom | Cameron Teal |
In-app purchases
The Darkroom Lab
No in-app purchases
FieldNotes
- FieldNotes Pro$2.991 Month
Questions
Is The Darkroom Lab free?
Is FieldNotes free?
Which has better reviews, The Darkroom Lab or FieldNotes?
Do The Darkroom Lab or FieldNotes have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Darkroom Lab or FieldNotes?
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