Comparison

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier vs HD Microscope

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

Head to head
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

About

HD Microscope

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a high-resolution digital microscope. Inspect your home environment, verify currency, or engage students with microscopic observations. Wirelessly stream video to your device for a clear, magnified view.

Highlights
  • High-resolution digital microscopy
  • Inspect home environment
  • Verify currency authenticity
  • Observe microorganisms
  • Wireless AV signal transmission
  • Works with iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

It is a high resolution digital microscope and can inspect house environment if mites threaten your family, check the bill is real or not in your store, or help students to observe microorganism in an interesting way. Moreover, it can work with i-Phone or i-Pad. It sends the AV signal to your i-Pad by wireless technology and you will see the microscope video freely. Requirement *iPad 2 / New iPad *iPhone 4 / 4S *iOS 5.1 or later

Screenshots

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier4 screens
HD Microscope1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier at 69% against HD Microscope's 4%. Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (6.6K vs 39). HD Microscope's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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. Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. HD Microscope asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier has 6.6K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier's written reviews are positive against 4% of HD Microscope's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier ships an update monthly, HD Microscope every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier versus HD Microscope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagnifying Glass +++ MagnifierHD Microscope
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.6K ratings) — better1.5 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews69.0% of reviews — better4.3% of reviews
Number of ratings6.6K — better39
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.68.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperI-BeamABEL INDUSTREIS INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.

Customer experience

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

All ratings6,623 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral4.5%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews545 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral6.1%
Negative25.0%

HD Microscope

All ratings39 ratings
Positive15.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative84.6%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive4.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative95.7%

User reviews

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

HD Microscope

From 39 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📸 Can snap pictures with app/camera

Room to improve

  • ⚫ Black screen issue
  • 🚫 App does nothing
  • ❌ Connection loss
  • 🤷 Unclear instructions
  • ⏳ Slow loading times

Bugs and requests

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)

HD Microscope

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Black screen
  • App does not work
  • Connection loss
  • Menu buttons non-functioning
  • Video quality setting not retained
Show 4 more
  • App does not access camera
  • App opens but doesn't work
  • App wants you to buy stuff
  • Causes iPhone OS to hang

Requested features

5 requests
  • Make the app functional
  • Provide usage instructions
  • Fix video quality settings
  • Improve connection stability
  • Clearer app description regarding hardware requirements

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier

One-time3
  • Themes$0.99
  • Filters$0.99
  • Premium Upgrade$2.99
None

HD Microscope

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier free?
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HD Microscope free?
HD Microscope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier or HD Microscope?
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier is rated higher. Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while HD Microscope averages 1.5 from 39 ratings.
Do Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier or HD Microscope have ads?
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier shows ads; HD Microscope does not.
Which is updated more often, Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier or HD Microscope?
Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier ships an update monthly, and HD Microscope every 6 weeks. Most recently, Magnifying Glass +++ Magnifier was updated on October 18, 2026 and HD Microscope on October 20, 2026.

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