# Pocket Light Meter vs PinholeMeter

The clearest difference is price: PinholeMeter at Free against Pocket Light Meter's $9.99. PinholeMeter also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.6). Pocket Light Meter's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.6) and review sentiment (87% vs 56%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

PinholeMeter is free to download; Pocket Light Meter costs $9.99 up front. Pocket Light Meter sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. PinholeMeter asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pocket Light Meter holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Light Meter has 1K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Pocket Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 56% of PinholeMeter's.

Pocket Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, PinholeMeter every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Light Meter | PinholeMeter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089/reviews)** | [3.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinholemeter/id501893760/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **87.1% of reviews** | 55.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#114** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **7.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nuwaste studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/338524950) | [electrico elefante](https://appshunter.io/developer/501893763) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Light Meter

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

**Currently charting:** #114 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.)


### PinholeMeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinholemeter/id501893760)

This app functions as a light meter specifically designed for pinhole photography. Users can set the F-number and ISO sensitivity, then tap the preview window to measure exposure. It includes a countdown timer for precise exposure timing.

**Highlights:** Pinhole photography light meter, Set F-number and ISO sensitivity, Tap to measure exposure, Countdown timer for exposure, Calculates focal length/pinhole diameter

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Light Meter free?

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

### Is PinholeMeter free?

PinholeMeter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Pocket Light Meter is rated higher. Pocket Light Meter averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while PinholeMeter averages 3.6 from 7 ratings.

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

Neither Pocket Light Meter nor PinholeMeter shows ads.

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

Pocket Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, and PinholeMeter every 7 months. Most recently, Pocket Light Meter was updated on October 20, 2026 and PinholeMeter on October 1, 2026.

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