# Obscura vs Shanghai Camera

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shanghai Camera at none against Obscura's 5. Obscura's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Obscura sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Shanghai Camera asks for nothing beyond the download.

## The numbers

| Metric | Obscura | Shanghai Camera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (277 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obscura-pro-camera/id1579306989/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **277** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 174 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ben McCarthy](https://appshunter.io/developer/893264216) | [Ryan Walker](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888956332) |

## What reviewers say

### Obscura

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obscura-pro-camera/id1579306989)

This camera app offers advanced manual controls for photography and videography. It provides a range of capture formats, live filters, and viewing aids to enhance your creative process. An optional subscription unlocks premium features.

**Highlights:** Manual exposure, focus, and white balance controls, RAW, ProRAW, HEIC, and JPEG capture formats, Live filters and custom preset creation, Grid, histogram, and focus peaking view aids, Video and Live Photo recording, Integrated photo library browsing and editing

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Obscura Ultra - Weekly | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| Obscura Ultra - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Obscura Ultra | $24.99 | per year |
| Obscura Ultra Upgrade | $24.99 | per year |
| Obscura Ultra - One Time | $74.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful manual controls
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 🎨 Customizable presets and filters
- 💡 Unique camera gestures and UI
- 🎥 Supports video recording

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription-based model
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🤔 Unintuitive controls and settings
- 🤷‍♂️ Lack of support for newer iPhone lenses

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to use Pro Raw mode
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between lenses
- Manual settings randomly resetting
- Photos not saving properly
- Freezing and black screen issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to save custom camera settings
- Variable zoom function in pro mode
- Separate manual control for exposure and ISO
- Dedicated selfie button
- Live audio capture for Live Photos


### Shanghai Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shanghai-camera/id6762544355)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Obscura free?

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

### Is Shanghai Camera free?

Shanghai Camera is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Obscura or Shanghai Camera have ads?

Neither Obscura nor Shanghai Camera shows ads.

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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.*