Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Offline film development chart
  • Multi-step timer with sound notifications
  • Customizable agitation schemes
  • Darkroom themes
  • Dilution mixer
  • Automated time/temperature compensation
Features
Read full description

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

About

phNotes Lite

Features
Read full description

*** 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

Massive Dev Chart Timer4 screens
phNotes Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Massive Dev Chart Timer versus phNotes Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMassive Dev Chart TimerphNotes Lite
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (55 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings55 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#25 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFreestyle Photo & ImagingMarco 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
Show 7 more
  • 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
Show 10 more
  • 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

None

Massive Dev Chart Timer

No in-app purchases

None

phNotes Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Massive Dev Chart Timer free?
Massive Dev Chart Timer costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is phNotes Lite free?
phNotes Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Massive Dev Chart Timer or phNotes Lite have ads?
Neither Massive Dev Chart Timer nor phNotes Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Massive Dev Chart Timer or phNotes Lite?
Massive Dev Chart Timer ships an update every 5 months, and phNotes Lite every 6 weeks. Most recently, Massive Dev Chart Timer was updated on October 18, 2026 and phNotes Lite on October 4, 2026.

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