# Luminancer vs FotoDa

The clearest difference is price: FotoDa at Free against Luminancer's $2.99. FotoDa also leads on ratings volume (139 vs 16). Luminancer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 9 months). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

FotoDa is free to download; Luminancer costs $2.99 up front. FotoDa sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Luminancer asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for Luminancer against 4.0 for FotoDa. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FotoDa has 139 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Luminancer's written reviews are positive against 59% of FotoDa's.

Luminancer ships an update every 6 days, FotoDa every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Luminancer | FotoDa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminancer/id414607139/reviews) | **[4.0 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fotoda/id1291121692/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **139** |
| Positive reviews | **64.2% of reviews** | 58.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tron Quixote](https://appshunter.io/developer/414607142) | [Zevan Rosser](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291121691) |

## What reviewers say

### Luminancer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminancer/id414607139)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Create abstract video art with this powerful app inspired by analog synthesizers. Ideal for live performances, music videos, or artistic expression. It uses a luminance threshold filter and a unique video processing pipeline to generate stunning visual effects.

**Highlights:** Analog synth-inspired video effects, Live performance ready, Luminance threshold filter, Abstract video processing pipeline, Enhance VJ rigs, Create music videos

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Unique and innovative effects
- 🎨 Great colors and visual feedback
- ✨ Creates trippy and psychedelic visuals
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 💖 Loved by long-time users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 💾 Videos not saving
- 🎦 Videos zoomed in or cropped
- 😵 Confusing settings
- 💸 Not worth the money for some

**Reported bugs**

- Camera won't work
- Video import crops/squeezes image
- App zooms in on videos
- Switches back to square video size
- Paid features don't work

**Requested features**

- Add scales to Decay and Threshold controls
- Add more modules/effects
- Allow importing videos from library
- Add a dark mode option
- Add advanced analytics dashboard


### FotoDa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fotoda/id1291121692)

Transform your photos into unique abstract art with this app. Easily create stunning collages from your existing pictures and share your artistic visions.

**Highlights:** Generate abstract art collages, Use photos from your phone, Save creations, Share artwork

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FotoDa Advanced Features | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Creates stunning abstract art from photos
- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🎲 Unique randomized blending algorithm
- 💰 Free version offers substantial features
- 🔄 Multiple exposure blending capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- ⏳ Extremely slow loading times
- 🚫 App won't open or launch properly
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🖼️ Limited control over output and composition

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch with spinning spiral
- Crashes when uploading or selecting photos
- Freezes when scrolling through photo library
- Crashes when saving or tapping too quickly
- Crashes after recent iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Landscape/horizontal output format support
- Higher resolution export options
- Individual layer blending mode controls
- Ability to reposition and resize images
- Photo transparency adjustment controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Luminancer free?

Luminancer costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FotoDa free?

FotoDa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Luminancer or FotoDa?

FotoDa is rated higher. Luminancer averages 3.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while FotoDa averages 4.0 from 139 ratings.

### Do Luminancer or FotoDa have ads?

Neither Luminancer nor FotoDa shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Luminancer or FotoDa?

Luminancer ships an update every 6 days, and FotoDa every 9 months. Most recently, Luminancer was updated on October 15, 2026 and FotoDa on September 29, 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.*