Comparison

Light Meter LM vs ARC Facilities Premier

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

Head to head
About

Light Meter LM

Transform your smartphone into a professional light meter. Measure illuminance and color temperature with scientifically validated accuracy, trusted by professionals. Requires a simple diffuser for precise readings.

Highlights
  • Measure illuminance (lux/foot-candle)
  • Measure color temperature (Kelvin)
  • Industry-leading accuracy
  • Pre-calibrated for your device
  • Low light sensitivity
  • Save peak reading
  • Custom calibration option
Read full description

Turn your smartphone into a professional-grade light meter. Measure illuminance (lux/foot-candle) and color temperature (CCT in Kelvin) with unmatched accuracy — trusted by photographers, engineers, and lighting professionals worldwide. Why waste money on a hardware meter when you’re already carrying one in your pocket? The LM-3000 offers the same quality and usability as a traditional hardware light meter. Developed by optics scientists at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, LM-3000 is the only light meter app scientifically validated for accuracy. It achieves professional-grade precision by leveraging your iPhone's front-facing camera sensor with advanced RAW image processing. Unlike relying on estimates like other apps, it adheres to the ISO/CIE 19476 standard, ensuring measurements you can trust for critical applications. MEASUREMENTS ⎷ Illuminance in lux or foot-candles ⎷ Correlated color temperature in kelvin FEATURES ⎷ Industry-leading accuracy, matching professional high-end lux meters ⎷ Pre-calibrated for your specific device ⎷ Excellent low light sensitivity to detect light pollution ⎷ No ads ⎷ No Bluetooth and location permission required ⎷ In-app manual ⎷ Save peak reading ⎷ HOLD function with acoustic signal ⎷ Custom calibration option to align readings to another meter DIFFUSER REQUIRED Like every real light meter, the LM-3000 requires a diffuser to measure accurately. A diffuser scatters incoming light evenly on the sensor and prevents hotspots. While it may sound complex, the solution is surprisingly easy. You have two options: 1) Easily build a diffuser yourself in less than a minute using standard printer paper. This is accurate enough for most use cases. 2) Get the dedicated Diffuser Accessory (free worldwide shipping) for best accuracy and convenience. More details on https://lightray.io/diffuser/ (!) Avoid apps that don’t require a diffuser! They are inaccurate because they ignore the basic physics of light measurement. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY The LM-3000 is free to download and comes with a free trial period. The trial period lasts for two non-consecutive days, giving you enough time to see if the app fits your needs. The status of your free trial will be shown as the "battery level" on the top right of the LM-3000's display and on the "Battery Status" screen. Once your light meter's "battery" is depleted, you may choose a Charging Option to keep using the app. You can pick what works best for you: → Single Charge — top-up for another 48 hours (perfect for occasional use), → Continuous Charging — a monthly subscription (great if you use it regularly), → Unlimited Battery — a one-time purchase for unlimited lifetime access LM-3000 is the result of over five years of dedicated research and development, ensuring you get a tool that is precise and reliable. Every in-app purchase supports future development and helps keep the app ad-free for everyone. As a member of 1% for the Planet, we donate at least one percent of all revenue to environmental non-profits — this is our way of giving back. ACCURACY Accuracy is not an afterthought — Apps developed by Lightray Innovation are developed according to the ISO/CIE 19476 standard. Thanks to RAW image processing and a default calibration per device model they’re able to match the performance of high quality traditional hardware light meters. To ensure quality we rigorously test our apps regularly on upcoming devices. DOWNLOAD FOR FREE. TRUSTED BY MILLIONS. LM-3000 is the go-to light meter for photographers, professionals, engineers, and lighting enthusiasts who rely on accurate measurements — not estimates or guesswork. Download for free today and experience the difference! See the app in action: https://youtu.be/EJW7NfE2qCk Terms and Conditions: https://lightray.io/lightmeter/terms/

About

ARC Facilities Premier

Access critical building information instantly from your mobile device. Technicians can quickly find As-Builts, shutoffs, equipment details, and emergency data. This app streamlines field operations, saving time and improving response to any situation.

Highlights
  • Instant access to building information
  • Locate As-Builts and shutoffs
  • QR code scanning for equipment details
  • Annotate maps and plans
  • Online and offline document access
  • Cloud synchronization
  • Compliance documentation management
Features
Read full description

ARC Facilities provides instant access to critical facilities information from your mobile device. Technicians can quickly access As-Builts, shutoffs, equipment locations, O&Ms, emergency information, and other important documents with just a few taps. Mobile access from the field enables technicians to respond immediately to any situation and saves hours of lost productivity looking for information. ARC Facilities modules which may be purchased individually or in combination. Expansions to current modules or activation of additional modules are available at any time. Building Plans Quickly locate As-Builts or shutoffs with just a few taps. Visualize the relationship of As-Builts over time with our proprietary As-Builts Map View screen. A layered floorplan view makes it easy to determine which renovations or projects affected each room or space in the building. Simply tap a color-coordinated area to bring up the corresponding As-Built in seconds. Easily locate shutoffs for any building or floor with clickable maps. O&M Documentation While some other systems notify you what needs to be fixed, they doesn’t show you where the equipment is located or how to fix it. With ARC Equipment, teams can use a mobile app to work remotely and quickly locate equipment and the information required to maintain or repair it. Scanning a QR code instantly loads everything the technician needs including O&Ms, service records, pictures, training resources, shutoff procedures and more. Emergency Information Emergency situations develop suddenly and escalate quickly. Instant access to critical building, life safety and equipment information can minimize damage and protect lives. Safely resolving emergency situations requires clear communication and coordinated actions. Use your phone or tablet to annotate maps and plans – highlighting the exact incident location. Share via text message or email to ensure everyone is working from the same data. Hospital Compliance Our digital technology is rapidly transforming how facilities teams prepare for their compliance surveys with an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that manages your Environment of Care, Life Safety and Emergency Management compliance documentation Features: • Clickable maps quickly locate equipment and other assets • Powerful search with custom tagging and filtering • QR codes instantly access equipment information • Hyperlinked smart navigation of your documents • Markup tools allow detailed, visual annotations • Share files right from your mobile device • Instant access to compliance documents • Customized inspection schedules • Online & offline access ensures connection to critical documents, even without internet • Cloud sync keeps all your devices and team members on the same page • Secure, online document management in the cloud keeps your important information safe

Screenshots

Light Meter LM4 screens
ARC Facilities Premier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ARC Facilities Premier at 5.0 against Light Meter LM's 4.5. ARC Facilities Premier also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Light Meter LM's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 8) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Light Meter LM sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. ARC Facilities Premier asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ARC Facilities Premier holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Meter LM has 2.6K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Light Meter LM ships an update monthly, ARC Facilities Premier every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Light Meter LM versus ARC Facilities Premier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight Meter LMARC Facilities Premier
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.6K ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.6K — better8
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB269 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLightray Innovation GmbHARC Document Solutions, LLC

Customer experience

Light Meter LM

All ratings2,595 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews208 reviews
Positive40.4%
Neutral6.3%
Negative53.4%

ARC Facilities Premier

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Light Meter LM

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Diffuser not recognized even when used
  • App locks up/crashes
  • Constant diffuser pop-up interruptions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to use rear camera
  • More flexible diffuser options
  • Improved accuracy without diffuser

ARC Facilities Premier

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Light Meter LM

Subscriptions1
  • Continuous Charging$3.491 Month
One-time2
  • Single Charge$0.99
  • Unlimited Battery$19.99
None

ARC Facilities Premier

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Light Meter LM free?
Light Meter LM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ARC Facilities Premier free?
ARC Facilities Premier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Light Meter LM or ARC Facilities Premier?
ARC Facilities Premier is rated higher. Light Meter LM averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while ARC Facilities Premier averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Light Meter LM or ARC Facilities Premier have ads?
Neither Light Meter LM nor ARC Facilities Premier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Light Meter LM or ARC Facilities Premier?
Light Meter LM ships an update monthly, and ARC Facilities Premier every 3 weeks. Most recently, Light Meter LM was updated on November 11, 2026 and ARC Facilities Premier on October 30, 2026.

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