Comparison

Lightme vs FrameAtlas

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

Head to head
About

Lightme

This app helps analog photographers meticulously track their film rolls, shots, and development processes. It allows for detailed logging of gear and consumables, with features for data visualization and export. Users can also manage film holders and add post-development notes with photos of final results.

Highlights
  • Log film rolls, shots, and development
  • Track gear and consumables
  • Data visualization with graphs/histograms
  • Data export in JSON/CSV formats
  • Manage large format film holders
  • Post-development notes with photos
Features
Read full description

Lightme - Logbook is a clean and powerful tool to record and keep track of your rolls, shots, developments, and all the gear that revolves around shooting film — from 35mm to medium and large format. The idea behind it is simple: logging a shot should take seconds, not steal time from actually shooting. Lightme pairs a beautiful, immediate interface with enough depth and flexibility to fit any workflow, whether you shoot a couple of rolls a year or fill several large format holders in an afternoon. LOGGING, EFFORTLESSLY • Log a shot in seconds: aperture, shutter speed, focal length, filters, bellows correction, measured EV, notes and more • Log straight from your wrist with the companion Apple Watch app, with Siri and Shortcuts, or from the home screen and lock screen widgets • Together with the Lightme Lightmeter app, your meter readings can prefill a new shot automatically • Every shot can carry a location and address, a preview photo, and later its final scan, plus a star rating ROLLS, SHEETS AND DEVELOPMENTS • Track rolls from loading to unloading, with film stocks from a growing database and a processing pipeline: waiting for development, off to the lab, back from the lab, to be scanned, scanned • Keep detailed development notes — developer, dilution, time, temperature, agitation — for rolls and single sheets alike, including push/pull (N+ / N-) development • Add post-development notes and a photo of the final result to rolls, sheets and individual shots YOUR GEAR, ORGANIZED • Cameras and lenses with nicknames, formats (including custom formats you define), pinhole and bellows flags, custom shutter speeds and selectable shutter step sizes • Roll film backs and lens filters with their exposure compensation • Film holders and backs can be marked as compatible with specific cameras, and everything is searchable from a single bar LARGE FORMAT, COVERED • Keep track of your film holders with three states — unloaded, loaded and exposed — always knowing which film is inside each one • Group holders together and follow every sheet from exposure through development INSIGHTS FROM YOUR DATA • Build and save custom queries, filtering by date (fixed or rolling windows), camera, lens, film stock, format, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length and notes • Visualize results with histograms — by camera, lens, film stock, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, ISO, format, rating or hour of the day — alongside aggregate stats like mean aperture and average exposure • Save the queries you use most and re-run them anytime YOUR DATA, YOURS • Everything syncs privately through iCloud across your iPhone and iPad • Export any selection of data as CSV or JSON, or as a beautifully formatted PDF with customizable columns and a contact-sheet mode, bundled with your images in a single ZIP • Batch-write shooting metadata (EXIF) onto your scans — for a whole roll at once, or by matching files from the Files app • Viewing and exporting your data is free, forever; adding and editing is unlocked with a one-time purchase or a subscription AND MORE • Full-text search, favourites and an archive to keep things tidy • Available in English, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese • A roadmap of what's coming next lives right in the app — new very cool features are on the way :) If you have any suggestion or issue, write me at lightme.apps@gmail.com Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

FrameAtlas

This app logs crucial data like GPS, time, lens, and ISO for each photo taken with a film camera. It helps you add metadata to your scanned images, making digital archiving easier and more informative. Log directly from your wrist using an Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • GPS and timestamp logging
  • Lens, ISO, and exposure tracking
  • Per-frame notes
  • Shot Map visualization
  • Film Bag archive
  • Barcode scanner
  • Gear Memory
  • Apple Watch logging
Features
Read full description

Analog soul. Digital precision. FrameAtlas is the missing link between your film camera and your digital archive. Film has no metadata. When your scans come back, every frame is a mystery, where it was shot, when it was taken, what worked. FrameAtlas logs GPS, time, lens, ISO, and more at the exact moment you press the shutter so you finally know. WHY FRAMEATLAS Film photography is about being present. FrameAtlas captures the data in the background so you don’t have to. APPLE WATCH: LOG FROM THE WRIST Leave your phone in your bag. Log frames instantly from your wrist with independent GPS capture. Everything syncs back to your iPhone automatically. THE WORKFLOW: SCAN → EXIF Shoot — log frames on iPhone or Watch Scan — get your rolls developed Export — generate a CSV from FrameAtlas Tag — write metadata into your scans using ExifTool Open in Lightroom or Adobe Bridge — location and time appear automatically. KEY FEATURES • GPS + timestamp logging for every frame • Lens, ISO, and exposure tracking (with per-shot overrides) • Per-frame notes • Shot Map — visualize an entire roll geographically • Film Bag — archive and revisit past rolls • Barcode scanner for quick roll setup • Gear Memory for cameras, film stocks, and lenses • Apple Watch sync for fast field logging FREE TIER • One active roll • Full GPS logging • Apple Watch support • Barcode scanner + notes PRO — $2.99 ONE-TIME PURCHASE • Unlimited rolls • CSV export for metadata embedding • Shot Map • Film Bag archive No subscriptions. No accounts. Yours forever. Built by a film photographer who got tired of guessing.

Screenshots

Lightme4 screens
FrameAtlas4 screens

Verdict

The call

Lightme and FrameAtlas both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of FrameAtlas's written reviews are positive against 75% of Lightme's. Lightme's advantage is ratings volume (104 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Lightme sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and FrameAtlas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FrameAtlas holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 104 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Lightme's written reviews are positive against 100% of FrameAtlas's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lightme versus FrameAtlas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightmeFrameAtlas
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (104 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings104 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiuseppe BertoliniEric Edwards

Customer experience

Lightme

All ratings102 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

FrameAtlas

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Lightme

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Cappuccino7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Focaccia Barese7 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Spaghetti Carbonara7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Homemade Pizza party7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • A smile :)Free
  • Box of Prosecco$59.99
  • Fuel for my '90s camper$119.99
Show 1 more
  • Terme for two$239.99
1 purchases

FrameAtlas

One-time1
  • FrameAtlas Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Lightme free?
Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FrameAtlas free?
FrameAtlas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightme or FrameAtlas?
FrameAtlas is rated higher. Lightme averages 4.8 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while FrameAtlas averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Lightme or FrameAtlas have ads?
Neither Lightme nor FrameAtlas shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightme or FrameAtlas?
Lightme ships an update every 2 weeks, and FrameAtlas every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lightme was updated on October 27, 2026 and FrameAtlas on October 12, 2026.

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