Comparison

Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) vs starlogger

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

Head to head
About

Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI)

This app enhances mobile photography with AI and computational imaging, offering extreme HDR, advanced denoising, and high-resolution capture. It provides manual controls, style presets, and a powerful editor for professional-level results in challenging lighting.

Highlights
  • AI-powered computational photography
  • Extreme HDR capture (> 20-stop)
  • Detail-enhancing denoising
  • Up to 110-megapixel resolution
  • Manual camera controls
  • High-fidelity photo editor
  • Multiple output file formats
Features
Read full description

Hydra is a camera app for iPhone & iPad with innovative capture technology that lets you take gorgeous and unique pictures even in challenging lighting conditions. Making use of the latest advances in artificial intelligence & image processing, Hydra’s independent computational core offers to overcome the physical limits of small sensors, with features such as over 20-stop extreme HDR, detail-enhancing denoising, macro shooting, crisp 6/8x zooming, and a whopping 110-megapixel resolution. But there's more. Hydra now features a new highly capable manual mode for photo enthusiasts, an improved faster shooting for reduced artifacts, and the addition of a new normal capture mode for everyday photos. It also comes with a number of presets to define your own style as well as a completely new high-fidelity photo editor. Last but not least, Hydra’s constantly evolving photo capabilities are your best asset to continue enjoying picture quality improvements after device purchase and to obtain state-of-the-art camera innovations all through its lifetime. “The Hydra app […] is one of the more interesting iOS camera apps we have seen in the recent past.” — Lars Rehm (DPReview) “Hydra is for people who enjoy iPhone photography at a higher and more rewarding level.” — David Robinson (iPhonographer) “The user interface is particularly well made […] If Apple were to purchase this app, they wouldn't have to change anything in its design.” — Florian Innocente (Mac Génération) “Hydra […] is a well thought out and terrific performing photo app with solid features that will improve your images in challenging lighting conditions.” — Mel Martin (Engadget) KEY FEATURES • Refined camera experience for iPhone & iPad. • Computational photography with artificial intelligence (AI). Neural processing & fusion of RAW sensor data. • Unique capabilities: extreme HDR (> 20-stop range) to accommodate lighting conditions, superior detail-enhancement and denoising for low-light & macro, up-to-6/8x zooming, and a whopping 110-megapixel resolution. New normal camera mode. • Versatile viewfinder: approachable ergonomics, tactile input & sensory feedback (1-stop vibrations). “Zebra” exposure previewing. • Manual mode for precise camera control: focus, ISO, shutter speed, white balance. • Rich capture options: Apple Watch remote, timer, flash & selfie, geotagging, grid overlay… • Photo style presets (tonal intent, color rendition…). • Powerful photo editor for 32-bit non-degrading edits, including tone mapping, detail boosting, precise colorimetry, and Apple ProRAW editing. • Side-by-side pixel-level comparison with unprocessed RAW input. • Exhaustive output options with varied file formats, including pro options (JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, TIFF-32, OpenEXR, Radiance, DNG, Apple ProRAW, and next-gen JPEG XL) & color spaces (sRGB, Display P3, ROMM ProPhoto). • Aftershot: saving to HyperRAW for deferred photo development, including Bracket and Fusion containers. • Improved saving to Files (iCloud & 3rd-party apps) including shared folders for professional use cases, and folder management. • Redesigned photo gallery. • Lock screen and home screen widgets. • Optimized for latest iOS, Metal, CoreML, and Apple Neural Engine (ANE) for high-speed AI computations on Apple Silicon. • Privacy first: full on-device processing, privacy filter for social sharing. PRICING The free app offers unrestricted shooting in normal mode (auto & manual), including RAW, HyperRAW & Apple ProRAW (compatible devices only). Other capture modes & restrictions can be unlocked either with the Pro Pack 3 one-time purchase, or with the Pro Plan subscription. Upgrade pricing is available within the app for previous version owners. MORE INFO Website: https://creaceed.com/ihydra Privacy Policy: https://creaceed.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://creaceed.com/terms Feedback: hydra@creaceed.com

About

starlogger

Features
Read full description

Starlogger is the session tracker built for astrophotographers. Log every night under the stars — date, site, targets imaged, and exposures per target — paired with the exact camera, mount, optics, and filter wheel you used. Save your imaging sites with GPS coordinates and let Starlogger notify you automatically, even in the background, when you arrive at one. Build reusable equipment kits so you're not re-entering the same rig every session, and browse a growing target catalog as you log. Every session keeps a permanent snapshot of the gear and site you used at the time, so updating your equipment library later never rewrites your history. No sign-in, no cloud account — your data lives on your device and backs up automatically through iCloud Backup. - Session logging with date, site, targets, and per-target exposure details - GPS-based Sites with automatic geofenced arrival notifications - Reusable equipment library: cameras, filter wheels, OTAs/lenses, mounts, and kits - Built-in target catalog - Permanent equipment/site snapshots — past sessions never change when your gear list does - No account required; data backs up automatically via iCloud / Auto Backup for Apps - Miles or kilometers, your choice

Screenshots

Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI)4 screens
starlogger4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: starlogger at none against Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI)'s 6. starlogger also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). 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. Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. starlogger asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) ships an update every 2 months, starlogger monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) versus starlogger: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI)starlogger
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (251 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews29.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings251 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCreaceed SRLDavid Campbell

Bugs and requests

Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI)

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when taking 110MP photos
  • Unable to save RAW/HEIC files
  • Inconsistent behavior in different lighting conditions
  • Zoom and macro features not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ultra-wide lens support
  • Allow editing of photos after capture
  • Improve low-light and macro performance
  • Optimize for latest iPhone hardware
  • Provide better value for paid version

starlogger

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI)

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Plan (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Plan (Yearly)7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time4
  • Pro Pack 3 (Upgrade)$7.99
  • Pro Pack (Upgrade)$15.99
  • Pro Pack 3$23.99
Show 1 more
  • Pro Pack$23.99
None

starlogger

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) free?
Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is starlogger free?
starlogger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) or starlogger have ads?
Neither Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) nor starlogger shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) or starlogger?
Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) ships an update every 2 months, and starlogger monthly. Most recently, Hydra › Pro Camera (RAW + AI) was updated on October 15, 2026 and starlogger on September 30, 2026.

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