Luminancer vs rhodopsin
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Luminancer
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.
- Analog synth-inspired video effects
- Live performance ready
- Luminance threshold filter
- Abstract video processing pipeline
- Enhance VJ rigs
- Create music videos
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Luminancer is a powerful one of a kind video effects app. It's modeled after classic analog synth hardware and is designed for live performances . It could be just the app you need to enhance a live VJ rig, create a music video, or just spend a moment manifesting yourself in the Luminiferous aether This is the app for masters of lightwave painting. Luminancer has been in the app store for 5 years and has been recognized for it’s early innovation and high performance. Skilled artists have utilized Luminancer in the flow arts of poi, fire, and hoop dancing. Luminancer can be found in use on the stage for headliner bands at major musical festivals and at the most underground rave parties. How it works: By overloading the luminance channel with strobing colors and video feedback, Luminancer defines itself as an instrument of abstract video. Luminancer starts with a luminance threshold filter and sends it’s signal down a video processing pipeline modeled after the early innovations and machines of the pioneers of video art. Luminancer is a truly independent app. It was conceived, developed, and designed by a single real person without any sort of external help or funding. The money raised from this app quite literally goes towards feeding my 2 children thank you and God bless.
rhodopsin
This app is a video synthesizer designed for live performances. It allows users to mix video sources and apply a series of three effects. Parameters for sources, mixers, and effects can be manipulated using LFOs, envelopes, and MIDI.
- Video source mixing
- Three sequential effects
- LFO and envelope control
- MIDI parameter control
- Live performance focused
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rhodopsin is a video synthesizer for live video performances. It feeds video sources into a mixer into three effects in series. Source, mixer and effect parameters can be controlled by LFOs, envelopes and MIDI.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: rhodopsin at 5.0 against Luminancer's 3.9. rhodopsin also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Luminancer's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Luminancer costs $2.99 and rhodopsin $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
rhodopsin holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 25 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Luminancer's written reviews are positive against 100% of rhodopsin's.
Luminancer ships an update every 6 days, rhodopsin every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Luminancer | rhodopsin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 3.9 (16 ratings) | 5.0 (25 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 25 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #187 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 292 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tron Quixote | Christopher Barth |
Customer experience
Luminancer
rhodopsin
Bugs and requests
Luminancer
Reported bugs
55 issues- 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
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- App is unusable
- Videos zoomed in and cannot zoom out
- App crashes and exits
- App glitches and deletes videos
- App freezes
- Video not loading/saving/rewatching
- App stuck on loading screen or crashes
- App doesn't like videos over a minute
- App ends up stuck on loading screen after recording
- App crashes altogether
- Videos are compressed and stretched
- Settings are confusing
- App crashes and exits the app
- App crashes and doesn't save videos
- App crashes after a minute or two
- Video comes out upside down
- Error saving to phone library
- App crashes when putting video from camera roll
- App saves videos upside down
- App is slow at exporting videos
- Update has broken the app
- App force closes
- App won't save edited versions
- App shows error message and won't save recordings
- App not loading videos taken
- App loads indefinitely, not allowing playback
- Videos save upside down
- App stops recording when phone auto-locks
- App crashes as soon as phone auto-locks
- App crashes 3 times on first use
- App says error and won't save to phone
- App crashes or tells error while processing
- App crashes regularly
- App doesn't let user set phone down and record
- Phone goes black and video doesn't save
- App gets stuck on loading screen until it crashes
- Cannot save anything longer than about 2 minutes
- Cannot save uploaded videos
- App crashes on auto lock
- App crashes when phone auto locks
- App freezes upon opening
- App doesn't work at all
- Camera shows dark screen
- App crashes on auto lock
- App crashes when phone auto locks
- App crashes and doesn't always save videos
- App crashes regularly
- App doesn't load images from library
- App doesn't record audio on video capture
- Swap button does not appear on iPhone 4
Requested features
17 requests- 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
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Improve video import/cropping behavior
- Add ability to save presets
- Add input/output feature for external ins and outs
- Add a specific DATA-MOSH filter
- Add sound to light feature
- Make UI hideable
- Add landscape mode support
- Add exposure slider and locker
- Allow selection of main color for effects
- Add ability to record audio
- Add ability to upload pictures
- Add ability to use AirPlay
rhodopsin
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Luminancer
No in-app purchases
rhodopsin
No in-app purchases
