# Lighter vs Candle

The clearest difference is rating: Lighter at 4.5 against Candle's 3.9. Lighter also leads on ratings volume (1K vs 29) and review sentiment (47% vs 28%). Candle's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lighter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Candle sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lighter holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lighter has 1K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Lighter's written reviews are positive against 28% of Candle's.

Lighter ships an update every 4 months, Candle every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lighter | Candle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lighter/id552812628/reviews)** | [3.9 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/candle-happy-birthday/id1535608712/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 29 |
| Positive reviews | **46.6% of reviews** | 27.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KISSAPP, S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/552812711) | [Nguyen Vu](https://appshunter.io/developer/864211835) |

## What reviewers say

### Lighter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lighter/id552812628)

Experience the most realistic virtual lighter. Customize flame colors, personalize your device with photos, and enjoy interactive features like motion-sensitive flames and concert modes. Perfect for adding ambiance to any occasion.

**Highlights:** Personalize with photos and skins, Motion-sensitive flame, Concert Mode with music sync, Adjustable flame intensity, Interactive lid control, Candle mode for romantic settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lighter Full Version | $1.99 | per month |
| Lighter Full Version Year | $9.99 | per year |
| Version Full Lighter | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🎉 Awesome lighter
- 💫 Impressive visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Too many ads
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🚫 Doesn't work as expected

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes frequently
- Purchased upgrades not working as intended
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- More lighter styles and customization options
- Ability to control flame intensity
- Integrate with camera/flashlight


### Candle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/candle-happy-birthday/id1535608712)

Transform your device into a realistic candle that responds to your breath. Light a digital flame, watch it flicker, and blow it out using your microphone for an interactive experience. Enjoy the ambiance of candlelight safely and cleanly.

**Highlights:** Realistic flame animation, Interactive blowing with microphone, Safe and clean digital candlelight, Mood setting for relaxation and focus, Flickering and glowing effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlocked Cake Candle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Noel Candle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Lotus Candle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Halloween Candle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Prayer Candle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Birthday Candle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Cross Candle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Heart Candle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlocked Islam Candle | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Fun for kids
- 💡 Saves the day in emergencies
- 👍 Works perfectly for some users
- 💯 Great concept
- 🥳 Can be used without fire/wax concerns

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Ads are intrusive and inappropriate
- 💸 Paid features don't work as expected
- 🚫 Candle doesn't blow out
- 📉 Unreliable functionality
- 👎 Disappointing user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Candle does not blow out
- Candle only blows out once
- Inappropriate ads displayed
- Paid features not working
- AR feature missing after purchase

**Requested features**

- Make the candle reliably blow out
- Allow manual extinguishing via screen tap
- Improve microphone sensitivity for blowing out
- Fix AR functionality for purchased number candles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lighter free?

Lighter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Candle free?

Candle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lighter or Candle?

Lighter is rated higher. Lighter averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Candle averages 3.9 from 29 ratings.

### Do Lighter or Candle have ads?

Lighter shows ads; Candle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lighter or Candle?

Lighter ships an update every 4 months, and Candle every 5 weeks. Most recently, Lighter was updated on October 29, 2026 and Candle on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*