Comparison

PhotoPills vs Capture One

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

Capture One

Edit and organize RAW photos directly on your mobile device. Tether your camera, apply edits instantly, and collaborate with clients in real-time. Seamlessly transfer your work to desktop for a complete professional workflow.

Highlights
  • Tether camera directly to mobile
  • Real-time image review and showcase
  • Instant RAW editing and style application
  • Client collaboration with comments and ratings
  • External storage support for unlimited work
  • Supports over 550 camera models
  • Seamless desktop integration
Features
Read full description

GREAT IMPROVEMENTS TO MOBILE * With Retouch Faces, you can complete your post-work on the fly and deliver your images on location. * Sessions Support enables you to stay organized with nested folders and track your selections. * Work and backup as you please with External Storage, so you’re not limited by your mobile storage. SHOOT INTO MOBILE & SHOWCASE YOUR STYLE Forget the heavy laptop. Tether your camera directly to your iPhone or iPad, wired or wirelessly. Shoot, review, and showcase your images in real time. Impress clients and make sure you get the perfect shot on the spot. SHARE, RATE, COLLABORATE Share shots instantly with teams and clients, get comments, star ratings, and color tags, and keep all feedback in one place, no matter where everyone is. APPLY EDITS AS YOU SHOOT Turn RAWs into near-final images instantly. Make quick edits and auto-apply the same look as you shoot for faster, clearer client feedback during the session. INCREDIBLE COLOR QUALITY Get our renowned RAW conversion and hand-calibrated colors right on your mobile screen, for true-to-life tones and perfect skin every time. STYLE & EDIT ON THE FLY AirDrop your favorite presets and Styles, or create your own. Apply them in a tap, auto-create complex masks, correct perspective, straighten shots, and edit freely on the go. DELIVER ANYWHERE Export to an external SSD, or send your work to Capture One Pro with all edits and ratings intact, so you can start on mobile and finish on desktop seamlessly. WORK WITH ANY CAMERA Supports 550+ cameras from Canon, Sony, Nikon, FUJIFILM, Leica, and more. Control your camera, fire the shutter, and adjust settings right from your device. PRICING & PLANS Start with a 7-day free trial of Capture One Mobile. Continue with a mobile subscription, or go All in One to get: * Capture One Pro (desktop) * Capture One Mobile * Capture One Live Unlimited * Priority support Upgrade to All in One and get the complete photo workflow, from capture to delivery.

Screenshots

PhotoPills4 screens
Capture One4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PhotoPills at 85% against Capture One's 18%. PhotoPills also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Capture One's advantage is price (Free vs $10.99) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On ads, monetization model 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

Capture One is free to download; PhotoPills costs $10.99 up front. Capture One sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month. PhotoPills asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PhotoPills holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 331 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of PhotoPills's written reviews are positive against 18% of Capture One's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PhotoPills ships an update every 2 months, Capture One every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
PhotoPills versus Capture One: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhotoPillsCapture One
Price$10.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better3.5 (331 ratings)
Positive reviews84.9% of reviews — better18.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better331
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB1.5 GB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPhotoPills S.L.Capture One A/S

Customer experience

PhotoPills

All ratings1,525 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral1.5%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews484 reviews
Positive84.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative11.0%

Capture One

All ratings331 ratings
Positive58.6%
Neutral5.1%
Negative36.3%
Written reviews459 reviews
Positive18.1%
Neutral14.6%
Negative67.3%

User reviews

PhotoPills

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Comprehensive planning tools
  • 🚀 Powerful features for astrophotography
  • 💡 Excellent tutorials and support
  • 🌟 Indispensable for photographers
  • ⭐ Incredible value for money

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Steep learning curve
  • 🤯 Overwhelming complexity
  • 🤖 Confusing user interface
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🗺️ Inaccurate location tracking

Capture One

From 331 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent tethering capability
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • 🚀 Fast image rendering
  • 👍 Great for culling and rating photos on the go
  • 👍 Seamless integration with desktop Capture One

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Requires separate subscription even for desktop users
  • 👎 Severely limited editing features compared to desktop version
  • 👎 Slow cloud sync and lack of external storage support
  • 👎 Unintuitive file management and export workflow

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

Capture One

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to log in due to keyboard not appearing
  • Inconsistent behavior when importing and exporting photos
  • Crashes when attempting to use certain editing features
  • Issues with wireless tethering and connection stability

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add layers, masks, curves, and other advanced editing tools
  • Enable direct import from camera/SD card, not just cloud sync
  • Allow opening and editing desktop Capture One sessions/catalogs
  • Improve tethering functionality with live view and camera control
  • Provide option to purchase app outright instead of subscription

In-app purchases

None

PhotoPills

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Capture One

Subscriptions4
  • Capture One mobile7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • All in One7 Days trial$39.991 Month
  • Capture One mobile7 Days trial$109.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • All in One7 Days trial$294.991 Year

Questions

Is PhotoPills free?
PhotoPills costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Capture One free?
Capture One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PhotoPills or Capture One?
PhotoPills is rated higher. PhotoPills averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Capture One averages 3.5 from 331 ratings.
Do PhotoPills or Capture One have ads?
Neither PhotoPills nor Capture One shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PhotoPills or Capture One?
PhotoPills ships an update every 2 months, and Capture One every 9 days. Most recently, PhotoPills was updated on November 6, 2026 and Capture One on November 7, 2026.

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