Comparison

ChromaCalc vs LightCalc.io

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

Head to head
About

ChromaCalc

This tool helps cinematographers match and find equivalent colors for LED lighting fixtures. It uses spectral data from real instruments to achieve desired color intentions with various lighting and camera settings.

Highlights
  • Match LED lighting fixtures
  • Find equivalent light colors
  • Use spectral data
  • Configure lighting instruments
  • Adjust camera settings
  • Achieve color intent
Features
Read full description

With the advent of LED lighting fixtures for cinematography, it can be a challenge to match different lighting instruments to each other or to an intended color reference or to find equivalent light colors under different white points. This calculator uses spectral data measured from real world lighting instruments to help you find the best combination of settings to use on a variety of popular lighting instruments and cameras to achieve your intent. This app is licensed under the standard Apple license agreement which can be found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

LightCalc.io

Features
Read full description

LightCalc is the on-set lighting tool built for cinematographers, gaffers and lighting professionals. Stop doing mental maths under pressure - get the right exposure, the right fixture, and the right setup in seconds. Exposure Calculator Input your camera settings - T-stop, ISO, shutter angle, frame rate, ND filters - and instantly see the illuminance your scene needs. Switch between lux and foot-candles with one tap. Ambient Light Meter Use your iPhone camera as a live lux meter. Point at any surface to get a real-time ambient reading and feed it directly into your calculations - no separate hardware needed. Fixture Comparison Compare up to four lighting fixtures side by side at any distance. Adjust count and dimming per fixture and see relative output at a glance. Power & Distance Solver Know exactly what dimming level or distance you need to hit your target exposure. Works with your chosen fixture, modifier, diffusion and gel. Full Fixture Library Access a curated library of professional fixtures and modifiers. Plus users can add their own custom fixtures and diffusion materials - synced across web and mobile. Projects Save your setups and reload them on the next shoot. Your lighting data travels with you. Built for the Set Dark UI, fast inputs, haptic feedback - designed to be used in low-light environments with one hand while holding a light meter in the other. LightCalc requires an active LightCalc Plus subscription. Manage your subscription at lightcalc.io. Privacy Policy: https://lightcalc.io/privacy-policy | Terms of Use: https://lightcalc.io/terms-conditions

Screenshots

ChromaCalc1 screens
LightCalc.io4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ChromaCalc at none against LightCalc.io's shown. ChromaCalc also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). LightCalc.io's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months). On price, in-app purchases 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. ChromaCalc sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and LightCalc.io sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $34.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChromaCalc ships an update every 8 months, LightCalc.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
ChromaCalc versus LightCalc.io: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChromaCalcLightCalc.io
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (16 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChromatic Applications LLCMatthias Streicher-Feldhofer

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ChromaCalc

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$99.991 Year
1 purchases

LightCalc.io

Subscriptions1
  • LightCalc Plus14 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is ChromaCalc free?
ChromaCalc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LightCalc.io free?
LightCalc.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ChromaCalc or LightCalc.io have ads?
LightCalc.io shows ads; ChromaCalc does not.
Which is updated more often, ChromaCalc or LightCalc.io?
ChromaCalc ships an update every 8 months, and LightCalc.io fortnightly. Most recently, ChromaCalc was updated on November 3, 2026 and LightCalc.io on October 28, 2026.

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