# Lumina vs Pixel Stretch

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Lumina | Pixel Stretch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumina-manual-camera/id1617117224/reviews)** | [4.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-stretch/id6779071913/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **96** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **89.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 14 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Salvatore Polito](https://appshunter.io/developer/1617117226) | [LEAP STUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472946428) |

## What reviewers say

### Lumina

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumina-manual-camera/id1617117224)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Free and no ads
- 👍 Full manual controls
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 👍 Great image quality
- 👍 No Apple post-processing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Video recording not available
- 🐛 Limited zoom functionality
- 🐛 Shutter speed limited to 1 second
- 🐛 Manual aperture control missing
- 🐛 LUT capabilities missing

**Reported bugs**

- 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)

**Requested features**

- 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


### Pixel Stretch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-stretch/id6779071913)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Lifetime | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*