Comparison

LightPlan vs GrayZone

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

Head to head
About

LightPlan

Visualize the sun and moon's path in 3D on real-world terrain to plan outdoor photography. See golden hour, blue hour, and shadows with precision. Save locations and camera angles for perfect shots.

Highlights
  • Photorealistic 3D sun and moon visualization
  • Interactive timeline for golden hour and blue hour
  • 3D building shadow visualization
  • Smart location library with custom camera angles
  • Syncs locations across devices
  • Elevation charts and compass
Features
Read full description

Know exactly when the sun will light the façade, before you book the shoot. LightPlan shows where the sun will be and where the shadows will fall at any address, on any date, at any time. Find the building, slide the timeline, and see the light. That's it. Made for real estate and architecture photographers who would rather be shooting than learning an app. BOOK THE RIGHT HOUR, NOT A GUESS Your client wants the front elevation in full sun and the lobby glass without glare. Drop a pin on the property, scrub through the day and watch the sun swing across the building. You'll know which morning or afternoon gives you the light you need, and you can give the agent a time with confidence. SEE THE SHADOWS BEFORE THEY RUIN THE SHOT Neighbouring towers, trees and parking structures cast shadows you only discover on site. LightPlan's 3D shadow map shows how shadows move across the property through the day, so you can avoid the hour when half the façade goes dark. SCOUT WITHOUT DRIVING THERE Photorealistic 3D maps let you look at the building from the street or from above, the way your camera or drone will see it. Work out your angles at your desk and arrive knowing exactly where to set up. NAIL THE TWILIGHT EXTERIOR Twilight shoots are won or lost in a few minutes. LightPlan gives you sunset, golden hour, blue hour and twilight times for the exact location, so you're set up and lit before the sky turns. SHARE THE PLAN, SKIP THE BACK-AND-FORTH Send the agent, architect or your second shooter a link to the exact place, time and view. It opens in LightPlan or in any web browser, so nobody needs the app to see the plan. SIMPLE BY DESIGN No dashboards. Nothing to set up. One clean map and one timeline. If you can use Maps, you can use LightPlan, and you'll have your answer in seconds. ON EVERY DEVICE YOU WORK FROM Plan on your Mac at the office, walk the client through it on iPad, and check it on your iPhone on site. Saved locations sync through iCloud. Stop guessing at the light. Plan it. Privacy‑focused design · No ads, ever · Works worldwide Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lightplan.app/privacy.html

About

GrayZone

This app acts as a precise light meter for photographers, allowing you to measure light in specific areas of your scene. It helps achieve consistent exposure and accurate tonal representation, especially in challenging lighting conditions.

Highlights
  • Zone System Mode for tonal analysis
  • Real SPOT metering for selected areas
  • Direct exposure control with ISO, shutter speed, and aperture
  • Live preview with native sensor ratio
  • UI color inversion option
  • No ads or data collection
Read full description

GrayZone reads light where you decide — not where your camera guesses. Built by Max of max&douglas — professional photographer with 25 years in editorial and advertising photography. Zone System Mode Measure a reference area first (Zone V), then check where the other tones will fall and their relative EV difference, for precise and consistent exposure. Real SPOT Metering Reads light exclusively in the area you select. Ideal for portraits, complex lighting and critical situations. Calibrated to render the selected area as neutral gray. Direct Exposure Control Set ISO before metering, like a dedicated light meter. Instant precise combinations of shutter speed and aperture. Exposure lock with AE LOCK. Half-stop support for finer control. MANUAL mode with over/underexposure scale. Essential Interface Live preview in your sensor's native ratio. NEW UI color inversion Shows only what you need. Nothing else. Complete Privacy No ads. No photos saved. No data collected or transmitted. For manual shooters — on film or digital. It does not replace your camera. It works alongside it.

Screenshots

LightPlan4 screens
GrayZone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LightPlan at Free against GrayZone's $2.99. LightPlan also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.8) and device support (3 vs 1). GrayZone's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

LightPlan is free to download; GrayZone costs $2.99 up front. LightPlan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. GrayZone asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LightPlan holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of LightPlan's written reviews are positive against 63% of GrayZone's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LightPlan ships an update every 3 weeks, GrayZone weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
LightPlan versus GrayZone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightPlanGrayZone
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.6 (10 ratings) — better2.8 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRivolu LLCMassimiliano Schenetti

Customer experience

LightPlan

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

GrayZone

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

LightPlan

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Membership$59.99
None

GrayZone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LightPlan free?
LightPlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GrayZone free?
GrayZone costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LightPlan or GrayZone?
LightPlan is rated higher. LightPlan averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while GrayZone averages 2.8 from 5 ratings.
Do LightPlan or GrayZone have ads?
Neither LightPlan nor GrayZone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LightPlan or GrayZone?
LightPlan ships an update every 3 weeks, and GrayZone weekly. Most recently, LightPlan was updated on October 25, 2026 and GrayZone on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons