# Develop! vs FilmMeter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Develop! at none against FilmMeter's 4. Develop! also leads on ratings volume (374 vs 41) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). FilmMeter's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FilmMeter sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Develop! asks for nothing beyond the download.

FilmMeter 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 41, 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 FilmMeter's.

Develop! ships an update every 4 weeks, FilmMeter every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Develop! | FilmMeter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (374 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/develop/id568421864/reviews) | **[5.0 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmmeter/id6753060069/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **374** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | 88.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 101 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Todd Breslow](https://appshunter.io/developer/568421867) | [宗 侯](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841159038) |

## 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


### FilmMeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmmeter/id6753060069)

This app transforms your iPhone into a professional light meter for film photography. It offers real-time metering, LiDAR ranging for accurate focus, and comprehensive film roll management. Features include reciprocity calculation, ND filter compensation, and an exposure log to streamline your shooting workflow.

**Highlights:** Real-time light metering, LiDAR ranging and depth of field, Film roll and camera management, Reciprocity and ND filter compensation, Long exposure timer, Exposure logging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy me lunch | $2.99 | one-time |
| 请我吃块蛋糕 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 赞助开发 | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Develop! free?

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

### Is FilmMeter free?

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

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

FilmMeter is rated higher. Develop! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 374 ratings, while FilmMeter averages 5.0 from 41 ratings.

### Do Develop! or FilmMeter have ads?

Neither Develop! nor FilmMeter shows ads.

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

Develop! ships an update every 4 weeks, and FilmMeter every 2 days. Most recently, Develop! was updated on September 30, 2026 and FilmMeter on October 1, 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.*