Comparison

Paint With Light vs Light Stack Camera

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

Head to head
About

Paint With Light

Features
Read full description

Do you have a camera? Do you want to do something different? Do you want to do something fun? Then light painting is the thing for you!   Light painting is a photographic technique of moving a light source (your phone) while taking a long-exposure photograph (with a separate camera). You can either illuminate a subject or space, or point the light in the app at the camera in order to "draw". And you can do all of this with your phone and your camera! Use your iPhone to paint beautiful images with light! Expand your creative vision! PLEASE NOTE - In order to be able to light paint you will need...  - your iPhone - a SEPARATE camera with the possibility of long exposure time - a dark room - a tripod or a stable surface to put your camera onto Have fun! PURCHASING TERMS Lifelong: $4.99 Paint With Light is available as a one-time purchase. Prices are for US customers and are subject to change without notice. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence.

About

Light Stack Camera

Capture incredibly sharp long exposure photos without a tripod. Advanced AI stabilization allows for handheld shots up to 30 seconds, providing natural-looking results. Unique features like true-to-motion preview and customizable failure responses ensure control and prevent ruined shots.

Highlights
  • AI-stabilized long exposures
  • Handheld shooting up to 30 seconds
  • True-to-motion live preview
  • Customizable failure response options
  • Full-resolution image pipeline
Features
Read full description

Capture sharp long exposures — no tripod required. With advanced AI stabilization, Light Stack lets you shoot handheld for up to 30 seconds — with consistently sharp, natural-looking results. To help you stay steady and in control, Light Stack offers some unique features: • True-to-Motion Preview: The live preview moves naturally with your hands, giving you intuitive feedback that helps you stay steady. No more fighting to keep a crosshair centered. • Failure Response: If motion tracking is lost, you choose what happens: temporarily pause the exposure, end it cleanly, or keep going without stabilization. No surprises, and no ruined shots when things don’t go as planned. • Full-Resolution Pipeline: Light Stack maintains full resolution from capture to final image. No cropping, and no upscaling to cover it up. Try it free and experience the convenience of Light Stack. --- Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Paint With Light4 screens
Light Stack Camera3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Light Stack Camera at 16.0 against Paint With Light's 18.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Paint With Light sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Light Stack Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paint With Light ships an update fortnightly, Light Stack Camera weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Paint With Light versus Light Stack Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaint With LightLight Stack Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—73.1% of reviews
Number of ratings—28 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size182 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter GrutterCogitap Software

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Paint With Light

One-time1
  • Full Unlock$4.99
3 purchases

Light Stack Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$34.99

Questions

Is Paint With Light free?
Paint With Light is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Light Stack Camera free?
Light Stack Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Paint With Light or Light Stack Camera have ads?
Neither Paint With Light nor Light Stack Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paint With Light or Light Stack Camera?
Paint With Light ships an update fortnightly, and Light Stack Camera weekly. Most recently, Paint With Light was updated on September 22, 2026 and Light Stack Camera on September 18, 2026.

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