Comparison

Lumina vs Pixel Stretch

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

Head to head
About

Lumina

Take full creative control of your iPhone photography with advanced manual settings for exposure, focus, and more. Capture stunning RAW images at full 48MP resolution and utilize features like bracketing and intelligent selfie selection for professional-quality results.

Highlights
  • Manual exposure controls (Shutter Speed, ISO)
  • Manual focus with focus peaking
  • Full 48MP RAW capture
  • Bracketing Mode
  • Intelligent Selfie Mode
  • RGB and Luma Histograms
  • Integrated Gallery with EXIF reader
Read full description

Take control of your iPhone camera, without getting in its way. Lumina puts exposure, focus, white balance and image processing in your hands. Its interface is built around the frame, keeping the image at the center of the shooting experience. Shoot RAW, ProRAW and 48MP photos with the controls you need, without unnecessary complexity. MANUAL CONTROLS Set ISO and shutter speed yourself, focus by hand and adjust white balance when automatic settings are not what you want. RAW, ProRAW AND 48MP Choose the format that fits the shot. Capture RAW or ProRAW when you want more room for editing, or shoot at 48MP on supported iPhones when resolution matters. CONTROL THE PROCESSING iPhone cameras normally make a lot of decisions after you press the shutter. Lumina lets you reduce some of that automatic processing when you want a more natural image and more control over the final result. FOCUS YOUR WAY Switch to manual focus whenever autofocus is not enough. Focus peaking helps you see which areas are in focus while composing the shot, making precise adjustments easier. BRACKETING Capture a sequence of exposures around your chosen settings. Useful for difficult lighting, exposure blending and HDR workflows, without giving up manual control over the shot. HISTOGRAM Check luminance and RGB information while composing. The live histogram gives you another way to judge exposure before pressing the shutter. MACRO On supported iPhones, Lumina gives you direct access to macro shooting while keeping the same camera controls available. Lumina is designed to stay out of the way while you shoot. Use automatic settings when they work, take manual control when they don't, and keep your attention on the frame. Professional controls. Made simple.

About

Pixel Stretch

Easily create unique pixel stretch photo edits on your iPhone. Import photos, define a source line, and shape the effect with intuitive controls. Generate motion trails, surreal distortions, and poster-style images directly on your device.

Highlights
  • Import photos from library
  • Shape stripe with control points
  • Choose stretch direction
  • Local subject cutout
  • Full-resolution export
  • Create motion trails and surreal effects
Features
Read full description

Create clean pixel stretch photo edits on iPhone without complicated photo editors. Pixel Stretch lets you import a photo, place a source line, shape the stripe with draggable control points, and export a full-resolution result. Use it to create motion trails, surreal stretch effects, poster-style edits, and social-ready image effects directly on device. Features: - Import photos from your library - Drag on the preview to move the source line - Shape the stripe with a curve pad and control points - Choose the stretch direction - Restore the subject over the stripe when local subject cutout is available - Share or save full-resolution exports Pixel Stretch Pro unlocks unlimited images and full-resolution pixel stretch edits. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/thirtynineapps-privacy/home

Screenshots

Lumina4 screens
Pixel Stretch4 screens

Verdict

The call

Lumina and Pixel Stretch both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of Lumina's written reviews are positive against 0% of Pixel Stretch's. Lumina also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (96 vs 9). Pixel Stretch's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, 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. Pixel Stretch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Lumina asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lumina holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lumina has 96 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Lumina's written reviews are positive against 0% of Pixel Stretch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lumina ships an update fortnightly, Pixel Stretch every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Lumina versus Pixel Stretch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuminaPixel Stretch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (96 ratings) — better4.4 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews89.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings96 — better9
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSalvatore PolitoLEAP STUDIO

Customer experience

Lumina

All ratings93 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews84 reviews
Positive89.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.1%

Pixel Stretch

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Lumina

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Manual settings not working on iOS 26.2 (auto mode taken)
  • BTK button flashes when choosing EV
  • Photos become brighter in camera roll after a few seconds
  • Viewfinder is black, cannot take pictures
  • Zoom not working like normal camera (only lens change)
Show 2 more
  • ProRaw files have no filename (.dng only)
  • UI text does not rotate in landscape mode

Requested features

12 requests
  • Allow adjustment of aperture
  • Add LUT capabilities (import and burn)
  • Add contrast and saturation sliders
  • Add a slider for white balance (Kelvin)
  • Add widget or Lock Screen button functionality
Show 7 more
  • Add a simple Timelapse function
  • Allow use of volume buttons to snap a picture
  • Add more zoom levels
  • Allow leaving the flashlight on
  • Add video recording functionality
  • Add more exposure bracket options
  • Make it the default camera app

Pixel Stretch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lumina

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Pixel Stretch

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime$12.99

Questions

Is Lumina free?
Lumina is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pixel Stretch free?
Pixel Stretch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lumina or Pixel Stretch?
Lumina is rated higher. Lumina averages 4.6 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while Pixel Stretch averages 4.4 from 9 ratings.
Do Lumina or Pixel Stretch have ads?
Neither Lumina nor Pixel Stretch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lumina or Pixel Stretch?
Lumina ships an update fortnightly, and Pixel Stretch every 5 days. Most recently, Lumina was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pixel Stretch on October 24, 2026.

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