Comparison

Massive Dev Chart Timer vs Silver Lab

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

Silver Lab

Read full description

Developing film should feel like a craft, not a calculation. Silver Lab is a darkroom timer built for film photographers who want to focus on the process and not the math. Select your film stock and developer, dial in your temperature and push/pull, and Silver Lab handles the rest. Development times are pulled from an extensive B&W film chart and automatically adjusted for temperature compensation and push/pull processing. For C-41 color negative, the full standardized process is built in and ready to go. When the timer starts, Silver Lab guides you through every stage — agitation cycles, stop bath, fixer, and optional Permawash and Photo-Flo steps. The animated agitation timer tells you exactly when to agitate and when to let the film sit, so you can put the phone down between cycles and not think about it. Features - Automatic development time calculation across a large library of B&W film stocks and developers - Temperature compensation and push/pull adjustment - Configurable agitation timing — set your own initial agitation, rest interval, and cycle duration, independently for Developer and Fixer - Optional Permawash and Photo-Flo steps - C-41 color negative process with push/pull support - Screen stays on throughout development - Live Activity functionality for longer developments - No accounts. No ads. No data collection. Everything runs locally on your device.

Screenshots

Massive Dev Chart Timer4 screens
Silver Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Silver Lab at Free against Massive Dev Chart Timer's $9.99. Silver Lab also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months). Massive Dev Chart Timer's advantage is chart position (#31 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases 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

Silver Lab 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, Silver Lab every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Massive Dev Chart Timer versus Silver Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMassive Dev Chart TimerSilver Lab
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (54 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings54 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#31 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFreestyle Photo & ImagingGREGORY HARRISON SCHUCH

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

Silver Lab

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Massive Dev Chart Timer

No in-app purchases

None

Silver Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Massive Dev Chart Timer free?
Massive Dev Chart Timer costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Silver Lab free?
Silver Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Massive Dev Chart Timer or Silver Lab have ads?
Neither Massive Dev Chart Timer nor Silver Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Silver Lab?
Massive Dev Chart Timer ships an update every 5 months, and Silver Lab every 4 weeks. Most recently, Massive Dev Chart Timer was updated on September 28, 2026 and Silver Lab on September 19, 2026.

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