Comparison

LensLight Visual Effects vs Apollo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LensLight Visual Effects

Enhance your photos with a vast array of interactive lighting effects. This app offers dynamic Bokeh, Lens Flares, Light Leaks, Spotlights, and Rainbow Effects, all rendered in real-time with a powerful Optics Engine. Achieve professional-looking results with dynamic light manipulation.

Highlights
  • Interactive lighting effects
  • Bokeh, Lens Flares, Light Leaks
  • Spotlights and Rainbow Effects
  • Real-time Optics Engine rendering
  • Dynamic light manipulation
  • Streaks, glares, and edge bloom
Features
Read full description

LensLight Visual Effects is the ultimate app to add beautiful lighting to your photos. You'll get a wide selection of interactive lights: - Bokeh - LensFlares - Light Leaks - Spotlights - Rainbow Effects CUSTOMER REVIEWS "I don't use light effects often, but when I do, I choose LensLight." "This app is great! There are more choices than you'd think, and it adds such a nice touch to pictures. I'm glad I got it." "Really for photo editing apps no one can touch these guys. Brilliant!" The power of LensLight is the Optics Engine for rendering the lights in real time. Many apps have simple filters with glare or grunge. LensLight effects are completely dynamic as you move them around like a real camera lens. You'll see beautiful streaks, glares, and edge bloom to add that final touch to your photos. LensLight uses the same technology as the pro Mac app, LensFlare Studio. Tag your photos with #LensLightApp for a chance to be featured!

About

Apollo

Enhance your Portrait Mode photos by adding and manipulating light sources after the shot. This app reconstructs a 3D map of your image, allowing real-time adjustments to color, intensity, and distance of lights for professional-looking results.

Highlights
  • Add light sources to Portrait Mode photos
  • Adjust light color, intensity, and distance
  • Real-time 3D light and shadow rendering
  • Create invisible light sources
  • Edit photos after they are taken
Features
Read full description

*** Apollo operates on Portrait Mode photos (requires iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X or NEWER). *** Apollo is the FIRST application that enables you to add light sources to your **Portrait Mode** photos, after the photo was taken! Apollo reconstructs a 3D map of your photo which you can augment with new light sources in real time. Take your portrait mode photographs from awesome to unforgettable by selecting the color, intensity, distance of a light and illuminate your photos and selfies to your heart's content. *** WARNING: Taking portrait mode photos requires iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X or NEWER. *** Apollo is the first app to use the depth data of your portrait mode photos to calculate photorealistic light and shadow. Using a proprietary processing algorithm running on your iPhone's graphics card, Apollo is able to render light sources on a portrait scene or selfie in real time. Apollo allows professional photographers and amateurs alike to try things that are not possible in the physical world. You can shape scene lighting by adding or even removing light. Since lights are computationally rendered in the scene, it is possible to put a light source within the frame: say hello to invisible lamps! The UI is optimised for use with one thumb, allowing you to always view the entire photo. One price, no in-app purchases and no subscriptions. We hope that Apollo is part of the computational photography revolution. We are doing our best but your support is crucial. Send us your feedback, ideas or bug reports on our support email. Show off your lighting chops on our social media outlets. --- Instagram: @apollo_illumination_app and share with tag: #apollo_illumination --- Facebook page: apollo.illumination --- Follow us on twitter: @Apollo_illum or share with tag: #apollo_illumination

Screenshots

LensLight Visual Effects4 screens
Apollo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LensLight Visual Effects at 77% against Apollo's 47%. LensLight Visual Effects also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.2) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). Apollo's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and ratings volume (447 vs 134). On update cadence, 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

LensLight Visual Effects costs $4.99 and Apollo $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LensLight Visual Effects holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 134 and 447 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of LensLight Visual Effects's written reviews are positive against 47% of Apollo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LensLight Visual Effects ships an update every 2 months, Apollo monthly. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
LensLight Visual Effects versus Apollo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLensLight Visual EffectsApollo
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.4 (134 ratings) — better4.2 (447 ratings)
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews — better46.6% of reviews
Number of ratings134447 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#182 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames GroteINDICE S.A.

Customer experience

LensLight Visual Effects

All ratings134 ratings
Positive85.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews522 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.7%

Apollo

All ratings447 ratings
Positive79.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews380 reviews
Positive46.6%
Neutral9.7%
Negative43.7%

Bugs and requests

LensLight Visual Effects

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Apollo

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to access full photo library
  • Crashes when trying to edit certain photos
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for all photo types, not just portrait mode
  • Option to save and load custom lighting presets
  • Ability to control light direction and intensity
  • Integration with other photo editing apps

In-app purchases

None

LensLight Visual Effects

No in-app purchases

None

Apollo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LensLight Visual Effects free?
LensLight Visual Effects costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Apollo free?
Apollo costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LensLight Visual Effects or Apollo?
LensLight Visual Effects is rated higher. LensLight Visual Effects averages 4.4 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while Apollo averages 4.2 from 447 ratings.
Do LensLight Visual Effects or Apollo have ads?
Neither LensLight Visual Effects nor Apollo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LensLight Visual Effects or Apollo?
LensLight Visual Effects ships an update every 2 months, and Apollo monthly. Most recently, LensLight Visual Effects was updated on October 22, 2026 and Apollo on October 22, 2026.

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