Comparison

NIR Color vs ARK Infrared

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

ARK Infrared

Features
Read full description

ARK Infrared turns ordinary photos into infrared photographs — the way they would look shot on IR film through a real filter. It is not a color preset. The engine reads every pixel for the physical evidence infrared responds to — chlorophyll, sky light, tungsten heat — and rebuilds the image the way film would record it. Foliage glows. Skies go black. Nothing is painted on. FOUR FILMS BW — black & white infrared, 590–850 nm. The look of Kodak HIE: glowing foliage, dark skies, halation bleeding around highlights. The dial sets the filter wavelength. AERO — Kodak Aerochrome false color. Vegetation turns red, everything else keeps its neutral tone. The dial moves through the Wratten filter series (#12 to #25), exactly the axis practitioners used on the real film. NIGHT — infrared at night. Tungsten lights blaze, foliage burns red against a black sky. The dial sets how deep into red the film goes. The engine adapts to each photo's white balance automatically. MOON — day for night. Shoot in daylight, get a moonlit night — the way the eye actually sees in the dark: reds sink first, color drains, the day sky goes deep. Not a blue wash. The dial sets how far into the night you go. FILM BACK FOR VIDEO Load a clip. The deck tunes on a poster frame, live; one key renders the whole clip in the same film — every frame through the full engine. INSTRUMENT, NOT APP One aluminum deck. A tuning ruler, an exposure dial, one red key. Live rendering while you drag. Tap the nameplate to read what infrared light actually is — with Herschel's 1800 experiment you can run with your finger. Exports in 10-bit HEIF at full resolution. No account. No network. Your photos never leave the device.

Screenshots

NIR Color4 screens
ARK Infrared4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ARK Infrared at Free against NIR Color's $2.99. ARK Infrared also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 months). NIR Color's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On ads and in-app purchases 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

ARK Infrared is free to download; NIR Color costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, ARK Infrared every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
NIR Color versus ARK Infrared: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNIR ColorARK Infrared
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (21 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews82.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings21 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJixiPix, LLCARK ICELAND LLC

In-app purchases

None

NIR Color

No in-app purchases

None

ARK Infrared

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NIR Color free?
NIR Color costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARK Infrared free?
ARK Infrared is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NIR Color or ARK Infrared have ads?
Neither NIR Color nor ARK Infrared shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NIR Color or ARK Infrared?
NIR Color ships an update every 10 months, and ARK Infrared every 4 days. Most recently, NIR Color was updated on October 13, 2026 and ARK Infrared on October 16, 2026.

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