Comparison

NIR Color vs SkyLab Photo Editor

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

SkyLab Photo Editor

Easily replace the sky in your photos with stunning options. Add clouds, trees, and birds to enhance your images. Save projects across devices with iCloud support.

Highlights
  • Sky replacement
  • Huge sky collection
  • Add clouds, trees, birds
  • iCloud support
  • Simple editing tools
Features
Read full description

SkyLab is the one and only sky-replacement app. Imagine dropping stunning skies on your photos with this innovative new app. FEATURES - Drop beautiful skies on your photos - Huge collection of skies - Add clouds, trees, and birds too - iCloud support: Save projects across all of your devices This app is driven by my own love of beautiful skies and fascinating cloud formations. My goal is to capture those moments when you stop in your tracks and just stare at a gorgeous sunset, beautiful blue sky, or epic storm. Create these moments right on your iPhone with powerful yet simple editing tools. SkyLab comes with a huge collection of curated skies from sunny, cloudy, stormy, and night shots. Want to add some clouds to your sky? SkyLab also includes Elements to add to your photos, such as clouds, trees, and the moon. Create beautiful skies with SkyLab.

Screenshots

NIR Color4 screens
SkyLab Photo Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NIR Color at 4.3 against SkyLab Photo Editor's 3.5. NIR Color also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 48%) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). SkyLab Photo Editor's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months). On ratings volume, 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 SkyLab Photo Editor $4.99 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 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 32 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of NIR Color's written reviews are positive against 48% of SkyLab Photo Editor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, SkyLab Photo Editor every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NIR Color versus SkyLab Photo Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNIR ColorSkyLab Photo Editor
Price$2.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.3 (21 ratings) — better3.5 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews82.5% of reviews — better47.8% of reviews
Number of ratings2132 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB209 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJixiPix, LLCJames Grote

Customer experience

NIR Color

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

SkyLab Photo Editor

All ratings32 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews178 reviews
Positive47.8%
Neutral7.3%
Negative44.9%

Bugs and requests

NIR Color

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

SkyLab Photo Editor

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App crashes when opening photos
  • App crashes when clicking mask tool
  • App crashes when saving or pressing Done
  • Masking tool does not apply changes
  • Auto-mask feature fails to detect objects properly
Show 11 more
  • Manual mask adjustments cause entire image to be covered
  • Freezing when zooming during masking
  • Crashes on iOS 15.6.1 and other iOS versions
  • App becomes unresponsive during editing
  • Endless loop when adding photos
  • Photo selection not working properly
  • Intermittent scrolling issues
  • Tutorial mode cannot be exited
  • Edit tool shows original photo instead of preview
  • Crashes on iPad but not iPhone
  • Performance degradation on older devices

Requested features

14 requests
  • Fix and improve masking tool functionality
  • Add ability to use custom/personal sky images
  • Implement sky rotation capability
  • Add more blending modes (multiply, overlay, luminosity)
  • Include feathering option for better edge blending
Show 9 more
  • Add undo/redo functionality
  • Support for landscape mode on iPhone
  • Ability to rotate skies to match horizon angles
  • More comprehensive tutorials for advanced features
  • Add more diverse sky options
  • Intelligent edge detection for complex skylines
  • Out of focus adjustment slider
  • Support for video editing
  • Ability to add other landscape elements (mountains, seas)

In-app purchases

None

NIR Color

No in-app purchases

None

SkyLab Photo Editor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NIR Color free?
NIR Color costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SkyLab Photo Editor free?
SkyLab Photo Editor costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NIR Color or SkyLab Photo Editor?
NIR Color is rated higher. NIR Color averages 4.3 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while SkyLab Photo Editor averages 3.5 from 32 ratings.
Do NIR Color or SkyLab Photo Editor have ads?
Neither NIR Color nor SkyLab Photo Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NIR Color or SkyLab Photo Editor?
NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, and SkyLab Photo Editor every 2 months. Most recently, NIR Color was updated on October 22, 2026 and SkyLab Photo Editor on October 29, 2026.

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