# PhotoPills vs Lume Control

The clearest difference is price: Lume Control at Free against PhotoPills's $10.99. Lume Control also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). PhotoPills's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (85% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

PhotoPills holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PhotoPills has 1.5K ratings behind it against 22, 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 50% of Lume Control's.

PhotoPills ships an update every 2 months, Lume Control monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhotoPills | Lume Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $10.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photopills/id596026805/reviews)** | [3.0 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-control/id6447444635/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **84.8% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 41 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PhotoPills S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/596026808) | [Kelly Mondora](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834763987) |

## What reviewers say

### PhotoPills

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photopills/id596026805)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Paid · Photo & Video, #140 Top Paid (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Lume Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume-control/id6447444635)

Control your Lume Cube lighting directly from your smartphone. Adjust brightness, temperature, color, and effects. Access tutorials and inspiration to enhance your creative projects.

**Highlights:** Smartphone lighting control panel, Adjust brightness, temperature, color, Light grouping, Special effects control, Built-in tutorials, How-to videos, Inspirational content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhotoPills free?

PhotoPills costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lume Control free?

Lume Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PhotoPills or Lume Control?

PhotoPills is rated higher. PhotoPills averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Lume Control averages 3.0 from 22 ratings.

### Do PhotoPills or Lume Control have ads?

Neither PhotoPills nor Lume Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PhotoPills or Lume Control?

PhotoPills ships an update every 2 months, and Lume Control monthly. Most recently, PhotoPills was updated on September 26, 2026 and Lume Control on July 5, 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.*