Comparison

NIR Color vs Light Stack Camera

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

Light Stack Camera

Capture incredibly sharp long exposure photos without a tripod. Advanced AI stabilization allows for handheld shots up to 30 seconds, providing natural-looking results. Unique features like true-to-motion preview and customizable failure responses ensure control and prevent ruined shots.

Highlights
  • AI-stabilized long exposures
  • Handheld shooting up to 30 seconds
  • True-to-motion live preview
  • Customizable failure response options
  • Full-resolution image pipeline
Features
Read full description

Capture sharp long exposures — no tripod required. With advanced AI stabilization, Light Stack lets you shoot handheld for up to 30 seconds — with consistently sharp, natural-looking results. To help you stay steady and in control, Light Stack offers some unique features: • True-to-Motion Preview: The live preview moves naturally with your hands, giving you intuitive feedback that helps you stay steady. No more fighting to keep a crosshair centered. • Failure Response: If motion tracking is lost, you choose what happens: temporarily pause the exposure, end it cleanly, or keep going without stabilization. No surprises, and no ruined shots when things don’t go as planned. • Full-Resolution Pipeline: Light Stack maintains full resolution from capture to final image. No cropping, and no upscaling to cover it up. Try it free and experience the convenience of Light Stack. --- Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

NIR Color4 screens
Light Stack Camera3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Light Stack Camera at Free against NIR Color's $2.99. Light Stack Camera also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). NIR Color's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (83% vs 73%). On ratings volume, ads and iOS requirement 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

Light Stack Camera is free to download; NIR Color costs $2.99 up front. Light Stack Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. NIR Color asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Light Stack Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 28 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of NIR Color's written reviews are positive against 73% of Light Stack Camera's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, Light Stack Camera weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
NIR Color versus Light Stack Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNIR ColorLight Stack Camera
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (21 ratings)4.7 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.5% of reviews — better73.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2128 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJixiPix SoftwareCogitap Software

Customer experience

NIR Color

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

Light Stack Camera

All ratings28 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral3.8%
Negative23.1%

In-app purchases

None

NIR Color

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Light Stack Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$34.99

Questions

Is NIR Color free?
NIR Color costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Light Stack Camera free?
Light Stack Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NIR Color or Light Stack Camera?
Light Stack Camera is rated higher. NIR Color averages 4.3 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Light Stack Camera averages 4.7 from 28 ratings.
Do NIR Color or Light Stack Camera have ads?
Neither NIR Color nor Light Stack Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NIR Color or Light Stack Camera?
NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, and Light Stack Camera weekly. Most recently, NIR Color was updated on August 29, 2026 and Light Stack Camera on September 18, 2026.

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