ZIGCAM vs TDLiDAR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ZIGCAM
This app transforms your iPad or iPhone into a device that transmits real-time depth and camera data using NDI. It integrates seamlessly with development environments like Unreal Engine and broadcast applications such as OBS, allowing you to utilize LiDAR depth data and ARKit information in your preferred PC applications.
- Real-time NDI data transmission
- Emulates iPad/iPhone as data source
- Utilizes LiDAR depth data
- Supports ARKit data
- Integrates with TouchDesigner and Unreal Engine
- Secure and simple operation
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ZIGCAM is an application for building virtual production prototypes and new visual production workflows. Using NDI and NDI metadata, it emulates the iPad and iPhone as devices capable of transmitting depth data and camera data in real time. Because it uses NDI, it can be used out-of-the-box with various development environments such as TouchDesigner and Unreal Engine, as well as broadcast applications such as OBS. With Tablet or Smartphone, you can use LiDAR's highly accurate depth data along with camera images in your favorite PC application. This application is also very simple and secure. This application will allow you to receive the following information to your PC or other device for as long as you want, but will stop all communication the moment you press the "Sending!" button in the application. ・Camera Data ・True Depth (Face Tracking) ・Smoothed Depth (LiDAR) ・Estimated Depth ・Various other ARKit data ZIGCAM provides real-time Face Tracking functionality using the TrueDepth API, but we do not collect, use, disclose, share, or retain any of this data.
TDLiDAR
Transform your iPhone into a live depth-sensing camera and a multi-sensor streaming hub. Wirelessly send LiDAR depth, body tracking, audio, and more to TouchDesigner, OBS, or other NDI-aware tools without cables or capture cards.
- Live depth-sensing camera streaming
- Multi-sensor data hub (body, hand, audio, motion)
- NDI streaming for TouchDesigner, OBS, Resolume
- Wireless connectivity, no capture card needed
- Point cloud streaming and 3D photo capture (Pro)
- Real-time sensor data to OSC namespaces
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TDLidar turns your iPhone into a live depth camera and 40-sensor streaming hub for TouchDesigner, OBS, Resolume and any NDI-aware tool — no capture card or tether. Tap Start NDI and it appears as a 1080p/60fps source on the network. DEPTH MODES • NDI Depth — front TrueDepth or rear LiDAR, live, with 15 colormaps, depth clipping and HD upscale. • LiDAR + Monocular (Pro) — real LiDAR sharpened by a neural network, in metres on a fixed range that never breathes. • ARKit Point Cloud (Beta · Pro) — scan people as live point-cloud silhouettes, or switch to All Surfaces and capture a whole room. Trail, echo, sculpt and gravity FX, colour by height, orientation, confidence or object type, and stream it all to TouchDesigner. • Monocular Depth (Pro) — neural depth from any RGB camera, no LiDAR needed; three model tiers at 60 fps. • Point Cloud (Pro) — live motion FX, Person Only isolation, and bit-exact XYZ+RGB into TouchDesigner POP geometry over Wi-Fi or USB. • Mesh Cloud (Pro) — scan a room into a walkable point cloud; export PLY. CONTROL & SENSORS • Show Control (free) — drive everything remotely over OSC and MIDI: 140+ parameters, mode switching, Look Presets, show blackout. • Sensors mode — ~40 on-device sensors (ARKit body/face/hands, motion, audio FFT, speech, AirPods, Watch heart rate) streamed as OSC. • Cue Deck & Align (Pro) — an OSC trigger-pad grid and a projector-warp rough-in. Everything runs on-device. No accounts, no telemetry, no analytics — data stays on your phone or LAN. REQUIREMENTS iPhone with TrueDepth or LiDAR (LiDAR modes need the scanner). iOS 18.6+. An NDI receiver on the same network. TDLidar Pro is a one-time lifetime purchase, or try everything with a 3-day pass. No subscriptions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ZIGCAM at 5.0 against TDLiDAR's 4.3. ZIGCAM also leads on iOS requirement (14.1 vs 18.6). TDLiDAR's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. ZIGCAM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TDLiDAR sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ZIGCAM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TDLiDAR has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of ZIGCAM's written reviews are positive against 85% of TDLiDAR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ZIGCAM ships an update fortnightly, TDLiDAR every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZIGCAM | TDLiDAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.3 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #79 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 190 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tech Director's Association | ari lintzeris |
Customer experience
ZIGCAM
TDLiDAR
In-app purchases
ZIGCAM
- Release All Features$7.99
TDLiDAR
- TDLidar Pro 3-Day Pass$2.99
- TDLidar Pro Lifetime$12.99









