# Pocket Light Meter vs Light Meter Wheel

The clearest difference is price: Light Meter Wheel at $1.99 against Pocket Light Meter's $9.99. Light Meter Wheel also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Pocket Light Meter's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 12) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Pocket Light Meter costs $9.99 and Light Meter Wheel $1.99 up front. Pocket Light Meter sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Light Meter Wheel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Light Meter Wheel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Light Meter has 1K ratings behind it against 12, 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 91% of Light Meter Wheel's.

Pocket Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, Light Meter Wheel every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Light Meter | Light Meter Wheel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | [4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089/reviews) | **[4.7 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-meter-wheel/id720707253/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 87.1% of reviews | **91.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | #200 |
| Size | 34 MB | 4 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) | [David Quiles](https://appshunter.io/developer/578971109) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Light Meter

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

**Currently charting:** #62 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.)


### Light Meter Wheel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-meter-wheel/id720707253)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app offers a fast, visual, and precise way to measure light for photography. It features a unique exposure wheel that displays aperture, shutter speed, and ISO simultaneously, giving photographers instant control and clarity.

**Highlights:** Real exposure wheel with all values in one view, Real-time metering with instant EV readings, Wide ISO and shutter speed range, Exposure timer for long exposures, Incident metering using front camera, Calibration for accuracy

**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 Light Meter Wheel free?

Light Meter Wheel costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Light Meter Wheel is rated higher. Pocket Light Meter averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Light Meter Wheel averages 4.7 from 12 ratings.

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

Neither Pocket Light Meter nor Light Meter Wheel shows ads.

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

Pocket Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, and Light Meter Wheel every 2 months. Most recently, Pocket Light Meter was updated on September 25, 2026 and Light Meter Wheel on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Pocket Light Meter or Light Meter Wheel?

Pocket Light Meter currently peaks at #62 in the App Store charts, and Light Meter Wheel at #200. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*