Comparison

Glasses vs Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

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

Head to head
About

Glasses

Magnify small text and objects with your phone's camera, even in low light. Use the front camera as a handy mirror for quick touch-ups. Save and archive images for later viewing.

Highlights
  • Digital magnifier with flashlight
  • Up to 12x magnification
  • Front-facing camera as a cosmetic mirror
  • Quick zoom by double-tapping
  • Continuous zoom by swiping
  • Freeze image with tap and hold
  • Image archiving and saving
Features
Read full description

Glasses turns your iPhone into a simple, powerful magnifier you can always have with you. Use it to read labels and menus, check receipts and price tags, examine clothing labels, see fine details, or simply get a closer look at anything that’s hard to see. Glasses is designed to be fast and effortless. Point your iPhone at what you want to see and use the large, simple controls to magnify the image — all easily operated with one hand. • Magnify text, objects and fine details • Illuminate what you’re viewing in low light • Freeze an image so you can examine it comfortably • Keep useful images in your private Image Archive • Quickly return to images you may want to see again • Share or save an image whenever you choose • Use the front camera as a convenient close-up mirror Private by design. Glasses does not require an account, does not contain advertising or analytics, and does not upload your images. Your Image Archive stays on your iPhone unless you choose to share or export something yourself. Whether you’ve forgotten your reading glasses, need to inspect something tiny, or simply want a clearer view, Glasses is ready when you need it.

About

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

This app transforms your device into a powerful magnifying glass and zoomable camera. Easily read small print, inspect details, or view objects up close with infinite zoom, image filters, and a built-in flashlight. It's designed for clarity and ease of use in any lighting condition.

Highlights
  • Infinite digital zoom
  • Zoomable camera functionality
  • Freeze live view
  • Built-in flashlight with adjustable brightness
  • Multiple image filters
  • Manual focus and exposure controls
Features
Read full description

The original and still the best. ***************************************************** The New York Times – Gadgetwise: App of the Week “Of the several magnification apps I tried, my favorite is Magnifying Glass from I-Beam. The iPhone app is simplicity itself. Turn it on, point the camera at the fine print, and touch the plus button until it is enlarged enough to read. Two other built-in features I like: the button that instantly resets the image to low magnification, and the camera button, which lets you take a photo of your close-up.” — Roy Furchgott, The New York Times ***************************************************** Magnifying Glass helps you see more clearly on your iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re reading small text, examining fine details, or viewing objects up close, Magnifying Glass provides powerful visual tools that are easy to use and fully under your control. With infinite zoom, the ability to freeze, rotate, filter, and enhance the live view, and manual control over focus and exposure, you can adjust the image exactly how you need it. A built-in flashlight with adjustable brightness helps illuminate hard-to-see areas, making it easier to read and inspect in low-light situations. Magnifying Glass also works as a fully functional zoom camera, making it useful at home, at work, or on the go. Try it today and see why it was named App of the Week by The New York Times. Features: - Infinite digital zoom to make small text easier to read - Fully functional zoomable camera - Freeze the view to inspect images without motion - Built-in flashlight with adjustable brightness - Multiple image filters, including a special high-contrast mode - High-contrast enhancement to reveal details in low light - Stabilization mode for crisp, sharp images - Manual focus and exposure controls - Support for front and rear cameras - Multiple interface themes to personalize your experience

Screenshots

Glasses4 screens
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Glasses at none against Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier's shown. Glasses also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 69%). Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Glasses sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Glasses holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.1K and 6.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Glasses's written reviews are positive against 69% of Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Glasses ships an update every 2 months, Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Glasses versus Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlassesMagnifying Glass +++ Magnifier
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (8.1K ratings) — better4.6 (6.6K ratings)
Positive reviews92.8% of reviews — better69.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8.1K — better6.6K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYodel CodeI-Beam

Customer experience

Glasses

All ratings8,044 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews167 reviews
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.6%

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

All ratings6,623 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral4.5%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews546 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral6.0%
Negative24.9%

User reviews

Glasses

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔍 Excellent magnification
  • 💡 Convenient for reading small print
  • 🔦 Integrated flashlight feature
  • 📸 Ability to take photos of magnified content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • 🔋 Concerns about high battery consumption
  • 🔍 Lack of brightness control
  • 🔍 Limited zoom range

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

From 6.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent app
  • 🚀 Powerful magnification
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Versatile features
  • 👍 Great for small details

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional blurriness
  • 🐛 Freezing/locking issues
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly

Bugs and requests

Glasses

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes or freezes during use
  • Difficulty returning to live view after taking a snapshot

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to save and retrieve magnified images
  • Option to adjust brightness/contrast
  • Support for higher zoom levels
  • Compatibility improvements for newer devices

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Rapid button tapping causes lockups
  • Rotate function gets stuck spinning
  • Simultaneous button presses lead to crashes
  • Freeze mode doesn't save images properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add pinch-to-zoom functionality
  • Improve image stabilization
  • Provide more manual control options
  • Allow loading and editing of saved photos
  • Integrate with other apps (e.g. iNaturalist)

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Glasses

One-time3
  • Patron$1.99
  • Backer$2.99
  • Hero$4.99
3 purchases

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

One-time3
  • Themes$0.99
  • Filters$0.99
  • Premium Upgrade$2.99

Questions

Is Glasses free?
Glasses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier free?
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Glasses or Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier?
Glasses is rated higher. Glasses averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier averages 4.6 from 6.6K ratings.
Do Glasses or Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier have ads?
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier shows ads; Glasses does not.
Which is updated more often, Glasses or Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier?
Glasses ships an update every 2 months, and Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier monthly. Most recently, Glasses was updated on October 31, 2026 and Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier on November 1, 2026.

Other comparisons