# Lens vs Lightme

The clearest difference is price: Lightme at Free against Lens's $2.99. Lightme also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (918 vs 8). Lens's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#187 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Lightme is free to download; Lens costs $2.99 up front. Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Lens asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 918 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Lens's written reviews are positive against 91% of Lightme's.

Lens ships an update every 18 months, Lightme every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lens | Lightme |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lenslab/id431559363/reviews) | **[4.8 (918 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **918** |
| Positive reviews | 69.0% of reviews | **90.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#187** | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeff Menter](https://appshunter.io/developer/403539646) | [Giuseppe Bertolini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509033789) |

## What reviewers say

### Lens

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lenslab/id431559363)

**Currently charting:** #187 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app simulates camera lens behavior, visually demonstrating depth of field and field of view. It allows photographers of all levels to explore how aperture, focal length, and distance affect focus in real-time.

**Highlights:** Real-time depth of field visualization, Interactive background scaling, Adjustable aperture, focal length, and focal distance, Configurable information overlays, Multiple sensor size options, Metric/imperial unit support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Lightme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-lightmeter/id1509033790)

This powerful light meter app offers a clean, intuitive interface optimized for one-handed use. It displays multiple aperture and shutter speed combinations simultaneously, aiding quick setting selection. Suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike, it includes advanced features like spot metering, reciprocity failure compensation, and pinhole mode.

**Highlights:** Multiple exposure settings display, One-handed operation, Spot metering with zoom, Reciprocity failure compensation, Pinhole mode, Incident light metering, Film database

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Espresso ristretto | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pecorino Romano | $4.99 | one-time |
| Guanciale | $9.99 | one-time |
| Parmigiano | $16.99 | one-time |
| Pizza for two | $29.99 | one-time |
| Do this full-time | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate metering
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 💡 Comprehensive features (spot metering, zone system, film stock selection, etc.)
- 🚀 Consistently accurate exposures
- 👍 Thoughtful design with user's needs in mind

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 👎 Confusing or cluttered interface for some users
- 👎 Tedious film selection process
- 🐛 Inaccurate metering in certain lighting conditions

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS 16
- Metering issues with certain camera/lens combinations

**Requested features**

- Add shutter angle adjustment for cinematography
- Implement ISO lock feature
- Add more film stock profiles
- Improve film selection process (e.g. search, categories)
- Provide more customization options (e.g. interface themes)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lens free?

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

### Is Lightme free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lens or Lightme?

Lightme is rated higher. Lens averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Lightme averages 4.8 from 918 ratings.

### Do Lens or Lightme have ads?

Neither Lens nor Lightme shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lens or Lightme?

Lens ships an update every 18 months, and Lightme every 3 weeks. Most recently, Lens was updated on September 19, 2026 and Lightme on September 26, 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.*