Massive Dev Chart Timer vs phNotes Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Massive Dev Chart Timer
This app provides an offline film development chart and a multi-step timer for photographers. It includes customizable agitation, darkroom themes, and support for various developing and fixing steps. It also offers automated compensation for development time and temperature.
- Offline film development chart
- Multi-step timer with sound notifications
- Customizable agitation schemes
- Darkroom themes
- Dilution mixer
- Automated time/temperature compensation
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The Massive Dev Chart is the world's largest film development chart with easy to use multi step timer and darkroom support for iPhone and iPad. Watch the instructional video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P915z6THiY8. *** Features *** • Offline copy of The Massive Dev Chart in your pocket • Multi Step Timer with sound notifications • Customizable agitation scheme • Darkroom themes • Dilution Mixer • Support for two-step development and two-step fixing • Support for optional hypoclear and photo flo steps • Automated development time/temperature compensation
phNotes Lite
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*** If you like this app please take the time and leave a feedback, this will help me a lot in maintaining it and add additional features. Thank you! *** This simple but powerful app allows photographers who use manual lenses, technical/view cameras, adapted gears with digital or even analog film photography to take note of the most important parameters of each shot taken on the field. Additionally, with the Pro version all annotations can be easily exported through email or into your cloud storage. When back home/studio, the freely downloadable desktop companion application "PhotoAnnotator" can read the exported data and automatically write all annotations as EXIF/IPTC metadata into the corresponding image files (RAW, TIFF, JPEG, etc...). This is particularly useful in all cases where the shooting parameters are not automatically written by the camera into the image files. Your image and shooting annotations can then live together in one single file. FEATURES (LITE AND PRO VERSION): - Supported annotations: image counter, shoot date, camera make and model, lens make and model, filter, shutter speed, aperture value, focus distance, shift and tilt movements, film, GPS location, additional notes. - GPS location automatically read from the iPhone's GPS system. - Ability to swipe-clone an existing image for fast editing in the field. - Ability to swipe-delete single photos. - Ability to manage a list of cameras. - Ability to manage a list of lenses. - Ability to manage a list of filters. - Ability to manage a list of films. - Ability to clear the whole session after having exported it. - Contextual help available. ADDITIONAL FEATURES (PRO VERSION ONLY): - Ability to save unlimited image entries (LITE is limited to 12 max). - Ability to export all data via the standard iOS sharing machanism. - The companion desktop app PhotoAnnotator can be freely downloaded at https://www.marcoristuccia.com/it/photoannotator - The companion desktop app PhotoAnnotator supports all the major RAW and image types (see the application description at the indicated web page for more details).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: phNotes Lite at Free against Massive Dev Chart Timer's $9.99. phNotes Lite also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Massive Dev Chart Timer's advantage is chart position (#25 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases 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
phNotes Lite is free to download; Massive Dev Chart Timer costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Massive Dev Chart Timer ships an update every 5 months, phNotes Lite every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Massive Dev Chart Timer | phNotes Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (55 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 55 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #25 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Freestyle Photo & Imaging | Marco Ristuccia |
Bugs and requests
Massive Dev Chart Timer
Reported bugs
12 issues- HC110 dilution section displays only letters, not ratios
- Dilution ratios not calculating when solution amount adjusted
- App crashes after selecting film speed
- Crashes on iPad with new update
- Timer display shows three dots instead of seconds
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- UI elements overlap on older iPhone models
- Safelight mode white banner blocks display on iPad
- Crashes during development process
- Home screen line emits bright light in darkroom mode
- App incompatible with newer iOS versions on older devices
- Notes don't word wrap properly
- Inconsistent film/developer availability between iPhone and iPad
Requested features
15 requests- Color film support (C-41, E-6, ECN-2 processes)
- Search functionality by film brand/name
- Ability to add custom process steps (presoak, toning)
- Individual agitation control per development stage
- Continuous agitation option
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- Volume calculator for stop bath and fixer
- Background timer functionality
- Custom step name editing
- Pull/push development times
- Stand development support with hour-based timing
- Apple Watch app
- Syncing between iPhone and iPad
- Fahrenheit temperature option
- Additional common film stocks (Portra, Fuji 400H, Ektar)
- Ability to add films not in database to custom times
phNotes Lite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Massive Dev Chart Timer
No in-app purchases
phNotes Lite
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Massive Dev Chart Timer free?
Is phNotes Lite free?
Do Massive Dev Chart Timer or phNotes Lite have ads?
Which is updated more often, Massive Dev Chart Timer or phNotes Lite?
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