# Develop! vs DevelopFilm

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Develop! at none against DevelopFilm's 3. Develop! also leads on ratings volume (374 vs 2) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). DevelopFilm's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DevelopFilm sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Develop! asks for nothing beyond the download.

DevelopFilm holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Develop! has 374 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Develop!'s written reviews are positive against 100% of DevelopFilm's.

Develop! ships an update every 4 weeks, DevelopFilm every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Develop! | DevelopFilm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (374 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/develop/id568421864/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/developfilm-darkroom-lab/id6749870154/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **374** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 88.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 101 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Todd Breslow](https://appshunter.io/developer/568421867) | [Aleksandrs Bertulis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1825425669) |

## What reviewers say

### Develop!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/develop/id568421864)

This app provides a flexible and intuitive timer for film and darkroom development. Create custom development recipes with multiple steps and intervals, and utilize a special darkroom mode for low-light conditions. Easily share your recipes and import them from FilmDev.org.

**Highlights:** Customizable development recipes, Multiple steps and intervals per recipe, Darkroom Mode (red-on-black theme), Integrated interval timer, Import recipes from FilmDev.org, Share recipes via social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Straightforward and useful
- 👍 Customizable timers and recipes
- 👍 Helpful voice prompts
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Excellent for film development

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 Cannot run in background
- 👎 Quiet chime/alarm volume
- 👎 Difficult to add/edit tasks
- 👎 No darkroom mode or red light option

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup for some users
- Timer stops when switching apps or locking phone
- Issues with saving and editing recipes

**Requested features**

- Ability to pause and resume timers
- Option to clone/duplicate existing recipes
- Integration with development charts or databases
- More detailed task descriptions and notes
- Ability to skip optional steps


### DevelopFilm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/developfilm-darkroom-lab/id6749870154)

This app is a pocket darkroom companion for black-and-white film development. It offers official developing times, a smart timer with agitation guidance, and full process control. Track your film details and parameters in a built-in journal to refine your workflow and achieve consistent results.

**Highlights:** Official developing times database, Smart timer with agitation guidance, Full process control adjustments, Built-in film roll journal, Quick custom timer, Darkroom-ready minimal interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Darkroom Pass Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Darkroom Pass Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Develop! free?

Develop! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DevelopFilm free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Develop! or DevelopFilm?

DevelopFilm is rated higher. Develop! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 374 ratings, while DevelopFilm averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Develop! or DevelopFilm have ads?

Neither Develop! nor DevelopFilm shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Develop! or DevelopFilm?

Develop! ships an update every 4 weeks, and DevelopFilm every 11 days. Most recently, Develop! was updated on September 30, 2026 and DevelopFilm on October 7, 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.*