# Lens vs Luminar

The clearest difference is price: Luminar at Free against Lens's $2.99. Luminar also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (4.7K vs 8). Lens's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and review sentiment (69% vs 42%). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Luminar is free to download; Lens costs $2.99 up front. Luminar sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Lens asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Lens against 4.8 for Luminar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luminar has 4.7K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Lens's written reviews are positive against 42% of Luminar's.

Lens ships an update every 18 months, Luminar every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lens | Luminar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lenslab/id431559363/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminar-photo-editor-and-enhancer/id6476109261/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **4.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **69.0% of reviews** | 41.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#125** |
| Size | 2 MB | 667 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeff Menter](https://appshunter.io/developer/403539646) | [Skylum](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457042223) |

## What reviewers say

### Lens

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

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


### Luminar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminar-photo-editor-and-enhancer/id6476109261)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Grossing · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app offers powerful AI-driven photo editing tools for mobile devices. It features intuitive controls, smart enhancements for skies, lighting, and skin, and a range of editing options for composition and style. Supports RAW files and integrates with Apple devices.

**Highlights:** AI Sky Replacement, AI Photo Enhancement, AI Skin Retouching, AI Body Shaping, RAW File Editing, Intuitive Gesture Controls, Photo Filters

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month | $14.99 | per month |
| 6 Months | $25.99 | per 6 months |
| 12Months with monthly payment | $39.99 | per year |
| 12 Months | $39.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Prime subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| 12 Months + Prime | $79.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Web + Desktop | $99.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access: Mobile + Desktop | $179.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful editing tools
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great AI-powered features
- 💡 Convenient mobile editing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription-only model
- 🐛 Buggy and slow performance
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔙 No option to save mid-edit

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Issues with saving and exporting
- Inaccurate AI-powered tools

**Requested features**

- Batch editing and presets
- Raw file support
- Masking and local adjustments
- Export options (PNG, TIFF)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lens free?

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

### Is Luminar free?

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

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

Luminar is rated higher. Lens averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Luminar averages 4.8 from 4.7K ratings.

### Do Lens or Luminar have ads?

Neither Lens nor Luminar shows ads.

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

Lens ships an update every 18 months, and Luminar every 9 days. Most recently, Lens was updated on October 23, 2026 and Luminar on October 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.*