Light Meter LM vs FlickerSpec
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/
FlickerSpec
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Your new LEDs shouldn't be giving you headaches. If they are, the lights are almost certainly flickering — faster than your eyes can consciously detect, but fast enough to trigger migraines, eye strain, and fatigue. FlickerSpec turns your iPhone into a flicker meter, using the 240fps camera to measure exactly what your eyes can't. For documentation — clinical engineering, facility management, lighting audits — FlickerSpec generates PDF reports that record the IEEE 1789 result and IEC PstLM value together with the standard, threshold, measurement uncertainty and calibration reference behind them. FlickerSpec is a screening and documentation aid, not an accredited laboratory instrument; whether a report satisfies a particular surveyor or regulator is their determination. WHAT YOU MEASURE Quick Measurement (Free, unlimited) Live 240fps capture with real-time results: • Dominant flicker frequency in Hz • Percent Flicker and Flicker Index per IEEE 1789-2015 • Signal-to-noise ratio and confidence rating • Live luminance waveform and FFT spectrum • No daily limit — measure as many fixtures as you like IEEE 1789 Verdicts (Pro) Turn raw numbers into a documented decision: • IEEE 1789-2015 verdict against the published low-risk practice: PASS, FAIL, or Can't confirm when the capture or framing cannot support a pass • Custom pass/fail thresholds when your specification differs • The standard and threshold applied are recorded with every saved measurement 3-Minute PstLM Measurement (Pro) 3-minute tripod capture for documenting low-frequency flicker: • Short-Term Flicker Severity (PstLM) per IEC TR 61547-1:2015, for dominant frequencies up to 90 Hz • Compared against the PstLM ≤ 1.0 limit cited by EU Ecodesign 2019/2020 (PstLM only — Ecodesign also requires SVM, beyond FlickerSpec's 240fps phone-camera pipeline) • 8× oversampled LM flickermeter checked against all 5 IEC Table A.1 test vectors • Camera-based measurement aid, not an accredited instrument or certified result Measurement Logging & PDF Reports (Pro) Every audit, documented: • Save measurements with GPS location, fixture photo, and notes • Single-measurement and session-summary PDF reports • PstLM threshold-comparison section included when applicable • Calibration certificate reference on every report • CSV export for spreadsheet workflows Calibration System (Free) Verify accuracy before any audit: • Built-in calibration web app generates a known-frequency reference signal • Point your iPhone at any screen showing the calibration page • Timestamped calibration certificate attached to all subsequent reports MEASUREMENT BANDWIDTH 240fps camera capture (Nyquist: 120 Hz) is designed for 50 Hz mains regions: • 50 Hz and 100 Hz flicker (50 Hz mains) — frequency and modulation depth • 60 Hz and 120 Hz flicker (60 Hz mains, e.g. North America) — the dominant frequency may still be identifiable, but depth and the verdict that depends on it are conditional because 240 fps is an exact multiple of both. The app reports Can't confirm when it cannot sample the whole cycle. • Above 120 Hz PWM and kHz drivers — outside camera bandwidth • Modulation depth is a lower bound unless the light fills the region of interest NO SUBSCRIPTIONS $49.99 one-time purchase unlocks everything: IEEE 1789 risk indications, 3-Minute PstLM Measurement, unlimited logging, PDF reports, CSV export, the calibration certificate document, report header customization with your company name and logo. Free tier: unlimited Quick Measurements with the full live readout — frequency, percent flicker, flicker index, SNR and confidence — plus free calibration. Privacy Policy: https://flickerspec.slick-engineering.workers.dev/privacy Terms of Use: https://flickerspec.slick-engineering.workers.dev/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Light Meter LM at 3 against FlickerSpec's 1. Light Meter LM also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Light Meter LM sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and FlickerSpec sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Light Meter LM ships an update monthly, FlickerSpec every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Light Meter LM | FlickerSpec |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2.6K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.6K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lightray Innovation GmbH | Corey Thomas Slick |
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
FlickerSpec
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Light Meter LM
- Continuous Charging$3.491 Month
- Single Charge$0.99
- Unlimited Battery$19.99
FlickerSpec
- FlickerSpec Pro$49.99
Questions
Is Light Meter LM free?
Is FlickerSpec free?
Do Light Meter LM or FlickerSpec have ads?
Which is updated more often, Light Meter LM or FlickerSpec?
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