# The Darkroom Lab vs Spooli

The clearest difference is rating: Spooli at 5.0 against The Darkroom Lab's 3.7. The Darkroom Lab's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (90 vs 2). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spooli sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. The Darkroom Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

Spooli 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 90 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

The Darkroom Lab ships an update every 3 weeks, Spooli every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Darkroom Lab | Spooli |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (90 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkroom-lab/id1528784514/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spooli/id6805183829/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **90** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 44.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 52 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Darkroom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528784516) | [Ariella Baum](https://appshunter.io/developer/6805183831) |

## What reviewers say

### The Darkroom Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkroom-lab/id1528784514)

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.

**Highlights:** View scanned film photos, Professional film developing, Experienced lab professionals, Access photos as soon as scanned

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Spooli

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spooli/id6805183829)

This app helps you declutter your camera roll by resurfacing photos from past years on the current date. Swipe to keep or delete, and enjoy features like live photo playback and smart duplicate detection. It operates entirely on-device for enhanced privacy.

**Highlights:** Memory resurfacing by date, Swipe to keep or delete, Live Photo playback, Smart similar-photo detection, On-device processing, Calendar progress view

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Darkroom Lab free?

The Darkroom Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Spooli free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Darkroom Lab or Spooli?

Spooli is rated higher. The Darkroom Lab averages 3.7 out of 5 from 90 ratings, while Spooli averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do The Darkroom Lab or Spooli have ads?

Neither The Darkroom Lab nor Spooli shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Darkroom Lab or Spooli?

The Darkroom Lab ships an update every 3 weeks, and Spooli every 2 weeks. Most recently, The Darkroom Lab was updated on November 7, 2026 and Spooli on October 31, 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.*