# Pocket Light Meter vs Lightme

The clearest difference is price: Lightme at Free against Pocket Light Meter's $9.99. Lightme also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Pocket Light Meter's advantage is chart position (#184 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Lightme is free to download; Pocket Light Meter costs $9.99 up front. Pocket Light Meter sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 925 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Pocket Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 91% of Lightme's.

Pocket Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, Lightme every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Light Meter | Lightme |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089/reviews) | **[4.8 (925 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 925 |
| Positive reviews | 87.1% of reviews | **90.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#184** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nuwaste studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/338524950) | [Giuseppe Bertolini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509033789) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Light Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089)

**Currently charting:** #184 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app functions as a portable light meter, essential for film photographers using manual cameras. It accurately measures reflected light and provides reciprocity calculations for precise exposure control.

**Highlights:** Portable light meter, Reflected light measurement, Reciprocity calculations, Indispensable for film photography, Manual camera compatible

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ads remover | $1.99 | one-time |
| pint for the developer and get rid of the ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| donation to the developer | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate light metering
- 📷 Useful for film photography
- 🔍 Spot metering feature
- 🔧 Customizable settings
- 🔋 Always available on phone

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes or crashes in low light or with recent iOS updates
- 🔍 Unclear if spot or average metering
- 📊 Outdated user interface design
- 🔌 Ads can be distracting

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes with recent iOS updates
- Inconsistent metering in low light conditions
- Issues with saving metering data to photos

**Requested features**

- Add histogram display
- Implement manual mode to lock aperture/shutter
- Support for flash metering
- Improve low-light performance
- Provide more metering mode options (spot, center-weighted, etc.)


### Lightme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790)

This powerful light meter app offers a clean, intuitive interface optimized for one-handed use. It displays multiple aperture and shutter speed combinations simultaneously, aiding quick setting selection. Suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike, it includes advanced features like spot metering, reciprocity failure compensation, and pinhole mode.

**Highlights:** Multiple exposure settings display, One-handed operation, Spot metering with zoom, Reciprocity failure compensation, Pinhole mode, Incident light metering, Film database

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Espresso ristretto | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pecorino Romano | $4.99 | one-time |
| Guanciale | $9.99 | one-time |
| Parmigiano | $16.99 | one-time |
| Pizza for two | $29.99 | one-time |
| Do this full-time | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate metering
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 💡 Comprehensive features (spot metering, zone system, film stock selection, etc.)
- 🚀 Consistently accurate exposures
- 👍 Thoughtful design with user's needs in mind

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 👎 Confusing or cluttered interface for some users
- 👎 Tedious film selection process
- 🐛 Inaccurate metering in certain lighting conditions

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS 16
- Metering issues with certain camera/lens combinations

**Requested features**

- Add shutter angle adjustment for cinematography
- Implement ISO lock feature
- Add more film stock profiles
- Improve film selection process (e.g. search, categories)
- Provide more customization options (e.g. interface themes)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Light Meter free?

Pocket Light Meter costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Lightme free?

Lightme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Light Meter or Lightme?

Lightme is rated higher. Pocket Light Meter averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Lightme averages 4.8 from 925 ratings.

### Do Pocket Light Meter or Lightme have ads?

Neither Pocket Light Meter nor Lightme shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Light Meter or Lightme?

Pocket Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, and Lightme every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pocket Light Meter was updated on October 16, 2026 and Lightme on October 17, 2026.

---

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