FLIR Tools vs RICOH THETA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FLIR Tools
This app allows professional thermographers to view and capture live infrared video and stills from select FLIR cameras on their mobile devices. It enables remote operation of cameras, data analysis, and report generation for thermal imaging inspections.
- Live infrared video streaming
- Remote camera operation
- Import and analyze thermal images
- Measurement tools
- Create and email reports
- Image information display
- Control camera settings
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FLIR Tools Mobile - an intuitive app for FLIR cameras. FLIR Tools Mobile lets professional thermographers use an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to see and capture live, streaming infrared video and stills from select FLIR cameras. With FLIR Tools Mobile the camera can be stationed in one area and operated wirelessly from another – highly useful for IR inspections of energized equipment or performing IR surveys in hard-to-reach locations and harsh working environments. Streaming video and remote access also gives decision makers and others on your team a valuable opportunity to observe and collaborate in the thermal imaging process Using FLIR Tools Mobile, you can do one or more of the following: • Import images from your infrared camera • Lay out and move measurement tools on the image • Read out temperature measurements • Zoom in on images • On the iPhone/iPad, remotely take snapshots when a camera is connected • On the camera, take snapshots that will automatically be saved in the iPhone/iPad • Delete any images on the iPhone/iPad • Display an image’s GPS coordinates on maps • Create and e-mail imagesheets • Create and e-mail reports • Print imagesheets and reports to any AirPrint-enabled printer • Save images to iPhone/iPad photo library • Display image information, such as object parameters, text comments, file information, etc. • Play-back voice comments • Change level and span • Change general settings in the app • Change palette FLIR Tools Mobile lets you take control of the following features on selected cameras: • Auto and manual focus • Level and span • Color palettes • Temperature measurement analytics • Spot • Area box • Circle • Line • Parameter settings • Emissivity • Reflected temperature • Relative humidity • Atmospheric temperature • IR and visible light image blending • Picture-in-picture • Thermal fusion • Image storage • MPEG 4 video • Radiometric JPEG stills
RICOH THETA
Capture, view, and share immersive 360° photos and videos with a compatible camera. Control your camera remotely, preview shots in live view, and experience your spherical images by spinning, enlarging, or shrinking them. Easily share your creations on social media.
- Remote camera control
- Live view preview
- 360° image and video viewing
- Spherical image sharing
- Switch between photo and video modes
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Make life fun and work convenient with the 360° camera RICOH THETA The 360° camera RICOH THETA greatly surpasses your field of view to capture the entire surroundings with a single shutter click. You can view and share on a computer or smartphone the images and videos you shoot. This app enables you to do every task, specifically taking images and videos, viewing them and also sharing them, on your smartphone. * A separately sold RICOH THETA series camera is required to shoot spherical images. ◊ RICOH THETA and Wi-Fi connection Be sure to install this app onto your smartphone and connect it to a RICOH THETA series camera. Using this app will enable you to capture images remotely and view spherical images. - Remote shooting In still image mode, you can shoot while checking images in live view. You can also switch between still image mode and video mode by the app. - Viewing Captured images and videos can be viewed using this app. Spin around, enlarge, or shrink... Experience the fun of seeing the entire space around you in a spherical image. ◊ Sharing on Social Networking Services You can share on Twitter, Facebook, and other social network services the spherical images you shoot. Show the world a new way of enjoying photos by 360° images that provide a feeling of being where the image was taken. ◊ Note * Not compatible with iPod Touch devices. * Please visit www.theta360.com for additional compatibility information. * Compatibility is not guaranteed for all devices. * Compatibility is not guaranteed for devices without GPS capabilities. * Compatibility information may be changed at any time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RICOH THETA at 4.6 against FLIR Tools's 1.8. RICOH THETA also leads on ratings volume (1.9K vs 19) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RICOH THETA holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RICOH THETA has 1.9K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of FLIR Tools's written reviews are positive against 23% of RICOH THETA's.
FLIR Tools ships an update monthly, RICOH THETA every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | FLIR Tools | RICOH THETA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (19 ratings) | 4.6 (1.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | 23.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 1.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 192 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FLIR Systems Aktiebolag | Ricoh Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
FLIR Tools
RICOH THETA
User reviews
FLIR Tools
From 19 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📱 Works well with compatible cameras for image transfer
- 🎨 Good editing tools for thermal image analysis
- 📊 Useful for field reporting and client presentations
- 🔧 Spot temperature measurement and annotation features
- ⚡ Quick image review capability in the field
Room to improve
- 🔌 Persistent connection issues with cameras
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 📉 Significant loss of features after updates
- 🚫 Limited device compatibility despite marketing
- ⚠️ Poor remote control functionality
RICOH THETA
From 1.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Gold standard in camera companion software
- 👍 Clear layout and professional controls
- 👍 Supports every Ricoh Theta model
- 👍 Frequent updates with no unnecessary features
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constant error message when trying to link to social media
- 🐛 Crashes on launch, not working with latest iOS
- 🐛 Erratic WiFi connectivity, disconnects frequently
- 🐛 EXIF data lost when saving 360 images
Bugs and requests
FLIR Tools
Reported bugs
21 issues- App fails to detect cameras on same network
- Connection timeout errors when attempting to import
- App crashes when creating or exporting reports
- Freezing during image import process
- Device discovery never locates camera
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Select-all function selects but provides no action options
- App becomes unresponsive after connecting to camera
- Images import multiple times from single transfer
- Temperature readings display incorrectly (Celsius vs Fahrenheit mismatch)
- App crashes on iOS 15 and newer versions
- Bluetooth import creates duplicate files
- Streaming feature non-functional
- Images lose thermal data when imported from Photos app
- Cannot open files from Files or Photos app
- Screen jumps while typing report details
- Imported images not sorted or grouped properly
- Thermal image and visible image different sizes after toggle
- Connection error with IP address entry
- App unresponsive with ad-hoc WiFi connections
- PDF generation crashes application
- Camera display shows basic thermal image with no controls after upload
Requested features
17 requests- Restore remote control capabilities for camera adjustment
- Enable bulk select-all and batch delete/save operations
- Add image editing features (palette, level, span adjustments)
- Restore multiple report templates and layout options
- Support for Bluetooth connectivity on older cameras
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Video streaming functionality
- Cloud integration with FLIR Ignite
- Ability to edit reports after publishing
- Remove or disable watermark option
- Volume button support for remote image capture
- Direct email/export functionality from app
- Support for more camera models (C3-X, E6-XT, TG267, etc.)
- Swipe and long-press multi-select for images
- Auto-pairing with discovered devices
- Better image organization and sorting
- Emissivity editing capability
- Notes/annotations for video files
RICOH THETA
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on launch after recent updates
- Unable to connect to camera after firmware updates
- Interval shooting not working on iOS
- Incompatible with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to batch select and share images
- Option to store photos within the app without cluttering device gallery
- Offline viewing of 360 photos with 3D effects
- Timer and interval shooting functionality
In-app purchases
FLIR Tools
No in-app purchases
RICOH THETA
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FLIR Tools free?
Is RICOH THETA free?
Which has better reviews, FLIR Tools or RICOH THETA?
Do FLIR Tools or RICOH THETA have ads?
Which is updated more often, FLIR Tools or RICOH THETA?
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