Comparison

NIR Color vs Color Curves

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

Head to head
About

NIR Color

Transform ordinary photos into surreal, ethereal landscapes with near-infrared technology and color filters. This app adds unique hues and dramatic contrast, making everyday objects appear otherworldly. Explore a different light and create magical, mysterious atmospheres in your images.

Highlights
  • Near infrared technology
  • Infrared color filters
  • Surreal and ethereal effects
  • Dramatic contrast adjustments
  • Preset library
  • Custom preset saving
  • Hi-Res image support
Features
Read full description

Photography is the art of capturing light. Infrared photography, on the other hand, is the art of capturing invisible light. If your looking for something new and unique to add to your photography arsenal then you came to the right place NIR Color is truly beautiful, surreal and will transform ordinary landscapes into something magical and ethereal. NIR Color uses “near infrared” light technology, along with infrared “color” filters to add violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red colors, and all their combinations back into your image. The combination creates stunning imagery with otherworldly and mysteriously atmospheres. When using “NIR” everyday objects differ sharply from those of visible light. A blue sky can sometimes appear very dark, while foliage often turns light to create an amazing and chilling contrast. Not only will the contrast make your photo ‘pop’, it will also transform the original color to ones that are dreamy and surreal using our infrared “color” filters. The decision is in your hands to tone down the color to ones that are classy, clean, and contrasted. Or boost them to a dramatic color of your choosing taking your infrared photography to a completely different level. With NIR Color you can quickly see how incredibly beautiful the world can be in a different light. The world as seen using NIR Color is at once familiar and strange, using hues that are entirely different than those we actually see in reality. The eerie but seductive effects that NIR photographs bring to the table consist mostly of landscape shots, but on occasion portraits can be completely converted from what we recognize as normal into ones where skin tones turn pale and cold and eyes that go dark. This may lead you to shift gears from a normal pose into something that is wildly terrestrial. So give NIR Color a try and transcend your photo into a world where you and your viewer will be offered a chance to encounter a deeper connection to the story behind your photograph. NIR Color … • Works best on colorful landscape images • “Near Infrared” technology turns blue-sky dark and foliage light to make your image ‘pop’ • Infrared “Color” filters add violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red colors, and all their combinations back into the image to create a dreamy and surreal appearance. • Works with Hi-Res images and saves Hi-Res for top-quality results • Gets you started fast with a variety of presets • Creates personal-favorite custom presets using the "Save Preset" menu • Has the addictive JixiPix Randomizer – so much fun! • Easy-to-use slider controls to adjust light, contrast and texture just how you want it • Superfast preview mode to immediately see edit results, with large image rendered at save • You can save to the photo roll and/or email or post to Facebook. Share your masterpieces! •Superior customer support and updates – we're committed to your long-term satisfaction

About

Color Curves

Adjust photo colors with powerful RGB curves. This tool allows for precise control over tone and light, offering both combined and individual red, green, and blue channel adjustments. Edits are non-destructive and can be applied directly through the Photos extension.

Highlights
  • RGB curves editing
  • Separate R, G, B channels
  • Photos extension integration
  • Non-destructive edits
  • Full resolution support
  • Minimalist interface
Features
Read full description

Edit colors with RGB curves either together or Red, Green and Blue separately. Curves is one of the most powerful tools when editing photos. It lets you dynamically change tone and light in images as simple as possible. Key Goals · Fully usable through Photos extension · Non-destructive edits and update original image in app · Full resolution support · As simple and minimalistic as possible If you have any questions or run into any problems: colorcurves@jhnd.me

Screenshots

NIR Color4 screens
Color Curves4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NIR Color at 83% against Color Curves's 40%. NIR Color also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (21 vs 2). Color Curves's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $2.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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

NIR Color costs $2.99 and Color Curves $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NIR Color holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NIR Color has 21 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of NIR Color's written reviews are positive against 40% of Color Curves's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, Color Curves every 9 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
NIR Color versus Color Curves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNIR ColorColor Curves
Price$2.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.3 (21 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews82.5% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings21 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 9 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJixiPix, LLCJHND i Sverige AB

Customer experience

NIR Color

All ratings21 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral9.5%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive82.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative15.0%

Color Curves

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

NIR Color

No in-app purchases

None

Color Curves

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NIR Color free?
NIR Color costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Color Curves free?
Color Curves costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NIR Color or Color Curves?
NIR Color is rated higher. NIR Color averages 4.3 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Color Curves averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do NIR Color or Color Curves have ads?
Neither NIR Color nor Color Curves shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NIR Color or Color Curves?
NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, and Color Curves every 9 months. Most recently, NIR Color was updated on November 1, 2026 and Color Curves on November 1, 2026.

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