Comparison

Shutter vs BoardGameRef

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shutter

Test the shutter speeds of your analog cameras using your iPhone. For precise measurements, use with the PhotoPlug accessory. Without it, the app analyzes shutter sound for speeds below 1/30sec.

Highlights
  • Test analog camera shutter speeds
  • Use with PhotoPlug accessory for light measurement
  • Analyze shutter sound for speeds below 1/30sec
  • Store measurement values in a table
  • Manage multiple cameras and lenses
  • Calculate correction factors for faulty shutters
Features
Read full description

With Shutter-Speed you can test the shutter speeds of your analog cameras just with your iPhone. Please note that the full potential of this App is only reached if you use it in combination with the PhotoPlug. The PhotoPlug is an optical sensor which connects to the headphone-jack of your iPhone and enables you to measure the actual amount of light passing through the camera shutter. Please visit www.filmomat.eu for detailed information and for ordering the PhotoPlug. How-To: Point the camera towards a bright light source. Place the PhotoPlug closely behind the camera shutter. Start the measurement and release the shutter. The App automatically analyzes the signal and calculates the shutter speed. All measurement values can be stored into a handy table. Multiple different cameras/lenses can be stored. A correction factor is calculated, which you can use to compensate a faulty shutter speed. For example, if you measure the 1/60s and it turns out to be 1/50s, the App will tell you that the shutter-speed is 1/3 stops too long. This gives rise to a correction factor of -1, indicating that you have to close your aperture by 1/3 f-stop to get a correct exposure. Without PhotoPlug, the App will record the sound of the camera shutter and calculate the shutter speed from that. Please note that this procedure will only give useable results for speeds below 1/30sec. With the PhotoPlug, shutter speeds up to 1/500sec can be measured.

About

BoardGameRef

Quickly find reliable rule clarifications for board games. Get clear answers for setup, turns, actions, and edge cases to keep your game night flowing smoothly. Features include instant Q&A, conversation history, and feedback tools.

Highlights
  • Instant rule Q&A
  • Clear edge case explanations
  • Conversation history
  • Feedback tools for answer improvement
  • Focus on real gameplay scenarios
Read full description

BoardGameRef gives you fast, reliable rule clarifications for your favorite board games. Ask about setup, turns, actions, timing windows, edge cases, and scoring, and get clear answers designed for real gameplay. Whether you’re teaching a new game, resolving a mid-game dispute, or double-checking a tricky interaction, BoardGameRef helps your table move forward quickly and confidently. Key features: 1. Instant rule Q&A in a clean chat interface 2. Clear explanations for edge cases and ambiguous situations 3. Conversation history to revisit prior rulings 4. Built-in feedback tools to improve answer quality over time Stop flipping through rulebooks and keep game night flowing.

Screenshots

Shutter4 screens
BoardGameRef3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BoardGameRef at 5.0 against Shutter's 3.6. BoardGameRef also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). Shutter's advantage is ratings volume (23 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BoardGameRef holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shutter has 23 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shutter ships an update monthly, BoardGameRef every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Shutter versus BoardGameRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShutterBoardGameRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (23 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFilmomat GmbHHaocheng Bai

Bugs and requests

Shutter

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • No longer records shutter speeds longer than 1/2 second correctly
  • Gives nonsense value for 1 second exposure
  • Developer dismissive of problems
  • Version 2.0 is buggy
  • Cannot reliably measure shutter speeds
Show 23 more
  • Automatic signal analysis less reliable
  • Zooming of waveform is inconsistent
  • App does not recognize Photo Plug
  • Photo Plug device does not work
  • No signal from Photo Plug
  • Graph resolution too low for pinpointing times
  • App needs update for new devices display
  • Nothing works in the app
  • Difficult to zoom waveform
  • Inaccurate for speeds shorter than 1/60
  • Auto-gaining causes jagged lines
  • App does not work on iPhone 6
  • Screen controls do not work on iPhone 6
  • App crashes
  • App freezes
  • Interface not working correctly
  • Cannot change target speed
  • Zoom does not stay when zooming out
  • Crashes when saving waveform
  • App is not operational
  • Difficult to isolate shutter sound
  • Missing 1/1000 sec measurement
  • Measurement of amount off is confusing

Requested features

13 requests
  • See milliseconds in camera profile
  • 1000 shutter speed measurement
  • Desktop variant with sensor
  • Higher shutter speed support (e.g., 1/2000th)
  • Graphical tweak for newer iPhones
Show 8 more
  • Better explanation of auto-gaining
  • Adjustable recording duration
  • Filtering of results (moving average, band pass)
  • Add 1/75 shutter speed
  • Select any possible shutter speed
  • Organize and delete camera readings
  • More accurate measurement for speeds above 1/125
  • Improve automatic zooming for waveform

BoardGameRef

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Shutter

No in-app purchases

None

BoardGameRef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shutter free?
Shutter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BoardGameRef free?
BoardGameRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shutter or BoardGameRef?
BoardGameRef is rated higher. Shutter averages 3.6 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while BoardGameRef averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Shutter or BoardGameRef have ads?
Neither Shutter nor BoardGameRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shutter or BoardGameRef?
Shutter ships an update monthly, and BoardGameRef every 3 days. Most recently, Shutter was updated on November 1, 2026 and BoardGameRef on October 31, 2026.

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