Comparison

PhotoPills vs Spark Camera Control

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

Head to head
About

PhotoPills

Plan and capture stunning photos of the sun, moon, and Milky Way. This app helps you visualize celestial events and landscape compositions with advanced planning tools and augmented reality.

Highlights
  • 2D Map-Centric Planner (Sun, Moon, Milky Way)
  • 3D Augmented Reality Views
  • Celestial Event Finder
  • Photo Plans Manager
  • Location Scouting Tool
  • Calculators (Long Exposure, Timelapse, etc.)
Features
Read full description

Unlock your creative potential! Discover how to easily turn any Sun, Moon and Milky Way scene you imagine into a real picture… and start shooting truly legendary photos every time you pick up the camera! Whether your passion is to capture beautiful landscapes, immortalize the infinite night sky, surprise the bride and the groom in their happiest day... or to travel the world, PhotoPills will make you love exploring new artistic possibilities to tell visual stories in a way it wasn’t possible before. * All in one app PhotoPills is your iPhone and iPad personal assistant in all photographic matters. It provides tasty remedies to answer most of the questions when planning and shooting your creative ideas: - The First 2D Map-Centric Planner: Sun, Moon, Milky Way - Sun, Moon Alignments Fast Finder - 3D Augmented Reality: Sun, Moon, Milky Way, Celestial Equator, Polaris, DoF, FoV - Photo Plans Manager - Location Scouting Tool - Key information: Sunrise/set, Twilights, Golden Hour, Blue Hour, Moonrise/set, Supermoon dates, Moon Calendar - Calculators: Long Exposure, Timelapse, Spot Stars, Star Trails, Hyperfocal Table, DoF, FoV - Widgets: Sun, Moon, Milky Way - PhotoPills Awards… and much more! * Endorsed by Masters “PhotoPills is an invaluable tool which I use every time I plan a shoot.” – Mark Gee, Astronomy Photographer of the Year. “A tool every photographer should have.” – Kevin Raber, Luminous-landscape.com. “It pays off! Using such a tool ensures that we are repeatedly capable of quickly planning powerful shots; leaving maximum opportunity for more creative ruminations.” – José B. Ruiz, Innovation Award, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. * How it works Have you ever walked around a place and thought: "What a pity the Moon isn't EXACTLY right there... I would have captured a great photo!"? What about the Sun? And the Milky Way? Well, now you can let your imagination fly and calculate when this specific magic moment happens in just a few seconds: - IMAGINE: the Milky Way arching over a powerful landscape, a giant full Moon appearing from behind a nearby hill or a sunset between two rocks on a magic beach... The only limit is your imagination! - PLAN: easily calculate the exact date and time the scene you’ve imagined happens. Work smarter, not harder! - SHOOT: just get out there, immerse yourself in the great outdoors, and enjoy living and capturing unique moments. * Become a Legend Because we know the huge amount of time, energy and love you put in your photos. We want to HONOR them, SHOW them to the World, and REWARD you with up to $6,600 in cash prizes. It's easy and FREE! Just submit your creative photos from PhotoPills and join the Legacy! * Never waste an unmissable scene again Create a To-Do list of planned photos and get to the location on time. * Get it right Adjust your frame for the best composition before you shoot. Use the 3D Augmented Reality Views to see whether Sun, Moon and Milky Way will be at the desired position when pressing the shutter. * Explore, discover great places and create your own database of locations If you come across a location you’d like to remember, save it as a Point of Interest. * Enjoy all daily information in just one swipe with the Widgets Just swipe down from the top of the screen to get all the Sun, Moon and Milky Way events for your current location and date, in addition to your upcoming photo plans. * Get more than an app Our goal is not only to help you plan your shots, but also to help you nail them. Whenever you need help, take a look at our How-To articles and videos, join our free online courses or just contact us! “This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take PhotoPills – you stay in Wonderland and we show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Remember: all we’re offering are Legendary Photos and Goosebumps in your skin, nothing more.”

About

Spark Camera Control

Control your DSLR camera wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet. Capture photos, videos, and time lapses with instant feedback and creative control from up to 100 feet away.

Highlights
  • Wireless camera shutter control
  • Remote photo and video capture
  • Time lapse creation
  • Bulb ramping for sunsets
  • Long-range connectivity (up to 100')
  • BLE connectivity
Features
Read full description

This is the smartphone control app for Spark. Spark is a device that attaches to your DSLR camera (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus and others) and allows you to wirelessly take photos, videos and time lapses from your phone or tablet and get instant feedback. With Pulse you get complete creative control all while staying free to use your phone or tablet. Spark is the most versatile camera remote on the market. With three different modes of control, Spark was built to adapt to whatever situation you are shooting in. Whether you're taking a fun group photo, capturing a long exposure of the stars, or settling down and setting up a time lapse, Spark gives you instant control. With your phone or without it. Spark Features : -Wirelessly control your camera's shutter from up to 100' away -Take sunset timelapses with Bbulb ramping -Free up WiFi and Internet as Spark uses and BLE -Extend your session with 2,000 hours of battery (factory replaceable)

Screenshots

PhotoPills4 screens
Spark Camera Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PhotoPills at 85% against Spark Camera Control's 22%. PhotoPills also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 19). Spark Camera Control's advantage is price (Free vs $10.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Spark Camera Control is free to download; PhotoPills costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PhotoPills holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PhotoPills has 1.5K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of PhotoPills's written reviews are positive against 22% of Spark Camera Control's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
PhotoPills versus Spark Camera Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhotoPillsSpark Camera Control
Price$10.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better3.1 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews84.9% of reviews — better22.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better19
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#10 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB35 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPhotoPills S.L.Tangy Laboratories Inc

Customer experience

PhotoPills

All ratings1,525 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral1.5%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews482 reviews
Positive84.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative11.0%

Spark Camera Control

All ratings19 ratings
Positive47.4%
Neutral10.5%
Negative42.1%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

PhotoPills

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when using depth of field calculator
  • Location settings not persisting between sessions
  • Milky Way position not aligning correctly

Requested features

5 requests
  • User guide in multiple languages
  • Improved integration with other apps
  • More customization options
  • Weather forecast integration
  • Apple Watch companion app

Spark Camera Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PhotoPills

No in-app purchases

None

Spark Camera Control

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PhotoPills free?
PhotoPills costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spark Camera Control free?
Spark Camera Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PhotoPills or Spark Camera Control?
PhotoPills is rated higher. PhotoPills averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Spark Camera Control averages 3.1 from 19 ratings.
Do PhotoPills or Spark Camera Control have ads?
Neither PhotoPills nor Spark Camera Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PhotoPills or Spark Camera Control?
PhotoPills ships an update every 2 months, and Spark Camera Control every 2 months. Most recently, PhotoPills was updated on October 24, 2026 and Spark Camera Control on October 24, 2026.

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