# HDReye vs ThingLink AR Viewer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ThingLink AR Viewer at none against HDReye's 4. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HDReye sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. ThingLink AR Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

HDReye ships an update monthly, ThingLink AR Viewer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HDReye | ThingLink AR Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (770 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hdreye/id1566721813/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **770** | — |
| Positive reviews | 29.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 90 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HDReye Technologies Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1691298419) | [Thinglink](https://appshunter.io/developer/641524540) |

## What reviewers say

### HDReye

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hdreye/id1566721813)

Create custom 360° HDRi images for realistic 3D lighting and compositing directly from your phone. Capture bracketed panoramas and generate 32-bit EXR files for seamless integration with 3D software and AR development.

**Highlights:** Create 360° HDRi images, Shoot bracketed multi-exposure panoramas, Generate 32-bit .EXR files, Realistic 3D lighting and compositing, Image-based lighting solution, Access to crowdsourced HDRi collection

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HDReye Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| HDReye Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| HDReye Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Asset unlock | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 High-quality stitching
- 💡 Convenient for VFX work
- 🚀 Fast processing
- 👍 Intuitive workflow

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall to preview/download
- 🐛 Inconsistent stitching quality
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Crashes and server issues
- 🔒 No offline processing

**Reported bugs**

- Account deletion issues
- Stuck on processing/uploading
- Disappearing credits

**Requested features**

- Free trial or preview option
- Ability to stitch locally on device
- One-time purchase option
- Improved stitching algorithm


### ThingLink AR Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinglink-ar-viewer/id1671007593)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HDReye free?

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

### Is ThingLink AR Viewer free?

ThingLink AR Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do HDReye or ThingLink AR Viewer have ads?

Neither HDReye nor ThingLink AR Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HDReye or ThingLink AR Viewer?

HDReye ships an update monthly, and ThingLink AR Viewer every 2 months. Most recently, HDReye was updated on September 27, 2026 and ThingLink AR Viewer on September 19, 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.*