Comparison

DualSphere vs Z

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

Head to head
About

DualSphere

This app allows you to view VR180 and 360-degree videos and photos offline. It supports various spatial photo formats and stitched images, enabling immersive viewing experiences.

Highlights
  • Offline VR video playback
  • Supports VR180 and 360 formats
  • Spatial photo viewing
  • Handles stitched images
  • Import and manage media
Features
Read full description

View VR180 and regular 360 videos offline.  Now supports Spatial Photo and Left / Right stitched images. Supported files --------------- - Apple Spatial Photo - 3D AVI - MPO - 180VR video - 360VR Video - Adobe VR Photo - 360 video - Left Right Stitched video - Top Down Stitched video - Left Right Stiched photo Directions ---------- 1. Import a 180VR or 360 video using the + button 2. Click the thumbnail icon to view the 180VR or 360 video 3. Long press the thumbnail icon to delete the 180VR or 360 video

About

Z

Features
Read full description

Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights. Z-Stop is an iPhone spot meter true to this Zone System principle. Shoot black-and-white film with the Zone System, no external meter needed. [ Sound familiar? ] - Still guessing exposure by feel? - Wasting expensive film on bad exposures? - Carrying a spot meter for a camera with no meter? - Metered a shadow and got a picture that was too bright? - Forgetting where you metered by the time you develop? For about the price of a roll of black-and-white film, you can leave these behind. Meter one shadow with your iPhone, and Z-Stop shows the shutter and aperture that make it Zone 3, in 1/2-stop steps. With Pro, one tap on "Save" keeps the scene as a record image. [ The Zone System ] Worked out by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer around 1940. It divides tones into 11 steps, from black (Zone 0) to white (Zone 10), one stop apart. Detail is clearest from Zone 3 to Zone 7. Zone 3 : darkest shadow with full texture Zone 4 : foliage and stone in shade Zone 5 : middle gray (18% gray card) Zone 6 : sunlit light skin, light stone Zone 7 : brightest textured areas Expose so the shadow detail stays on the film, then set development so the highlights land where you want them. [ A meter only knows Zone 5 ] Any reflected meter renders what it reads as middle gray (Zone 5). Shoot a shadow at its reading and it turns gray. To place a shadow on Zone 3, give 2 stops less than the reading. That is why spot metering matters: a wide reading mixes one shadow with other tones. [ Why Z-Stop ] Finding a shadow, subtracting 2 stops, converting to real settings, and bracketing by half stops is slow and error-prone. * No spot meter or DSLR required - A reflected spot meter that reads only inside a small circle on screen. * Tells you if a shadow is good for Zone 3 - It checks how even the spot is (deviation): green "Z3 OK" if usable, red "Re-meter" if texture or an edge is mixed in. * No hunting for where to meter - "Find Zone 3" points only to usable spots. - With no Zone 3 it looks for Zone 4; with neither it says "Don't shoot", so you don't waste film. * No mental math - Shows values that match your body's shutter speeds and your lens apertures. - Values you cannot set get a red warning. * Ready for half-stop differences - Five steps in 1/2 stops, from the reading to -2 stops. - Full-stop shutters: unsettable steps are gray; "By aperture" brackets the aperture. * A steady reference - Exposure locks at the first reading, so up to five spots compare fairly. * No notebook needed (Pro) - The record image keeps the screen, readings, shutter, and aperture, so you can check your Zone 3 spot after developing. * See the gray before you shoot - B&W preview shows what tone a red sign or green awning will become. [ How to use ] 1. Tap a shadow. 2. Tap a green "Z3 OK" box to set the anchor, or press "Find Zone 3" at the lower left. 3. Fix the aperture ("By shutter") or the shutter speed ("By aperture"), and read the five steps. In theory Zone 3 is -2 stops, but the right step shifts by half a stop with film, EI, development, and printing. Choose a main frame and a sub frame. 4. With Pro, press "Save" to keep the record image in the "Z-Stop" album. [ Free and Pro ] Metering, Find Zone 3, Zone 3 anchor, five 1/2-stop steps, By shutter, By aperture, B&W preview, and settings are free. Pro (in-app purchase, yearly subscription) unlocks record saving. Setup : EI, aperture, ND, camera body (SLR, RF, medium/large format) Privacy : no internet except the subscription check with Apple; no ads or analytics; video stays on your iPhone Terms of Use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ * Z-Stop calculates from the brightness of the iPhone's standard (1x) camera. * Development for the highlights is up to you. * Not for important shoots you can't repeat (weddings, trips, paid work) at first. * Test with a roll or two, set it up, and bracket until you know your results.

Screenshots

DualSphere4 screens
Z4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Z at Free against DualSphere's $7.99. Z also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly). DualSphere's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (5 vs 1). On 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

Z is free to download; DualSphere costs $7.99 up front. Z sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.99 per year. DualSphere asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DualSphere ships an update monthly, Z daily. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DualSphere versus Z: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDualSphereZ
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews10.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael Newellsungho an

In-app purchases

None

DualSphere

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Z

Subscriptions1
  • Z-Stop Pro Yearly14 Days trial$11.991 Year

Questions

Is DualSphere free?
DualSphere costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Z free?
Z is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DualSphere or Z have ads?
Neither DualSphere nor Z shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DualSphere or Z?
DualSphere ships an update monthly, and Z daily. Most recently, DualSphere was updated on October 24, 2026 and Z on October 9, 2026.

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