Comparison

ThumbCamera vs Video Buffer Pre

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

Head to head
About

ThumbCamera

Capture photos and control your camera with intuitive one-finger gestures. Easily zoom, focus, change aspect ratios, and share images without needing to reach across the screen. Ideal for one-handed operation.

Highlights
  • One-finger gesture controls
  • Zoom and focus with gestures
  • Change aspect ratio via swipe
  • Instant photo sharing
  • Multiple aspect ratio settings
  • Geotagging and EXIF data
Read full description

ThumbCamera is a gesture controlled camera app. In addition to taking photos and focusing, it lets you perform functions such as zooming and changing the aspect ratio with simple one-finger gestures. ThumbCamera lets you take photos easily with one hand, no matter how you're holding the phone. Demo Movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnkspSNDwQc ●Main gesture controls (all operations below can be changed through settings) - Tap: Take photo - Double tap: Focus - Tap and hold: Exposure - Vertical swipe: Zoom in/out - Swipe right: Change aspect ratio - Swipe left: Share (*1) (*1) About sharing - You can immediately send a photo to another photo app - You can also register arbitrary URL schemes ●Other features - Four aspect ratio settings (3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 1:1) - Three image size settings (dependent on device capabilities) - Geotagging ON/OFF - EXIF information written to photos is almost the same as the default camera app information - Silent shutter (If silent is on, image size become smaller) - Rotation lock, flash switch, grid display

About

Video Buffer Pre

Capture moments that have already happened with a pre-recording buffer. Save device storage and avoid tedious editing by recording only the highlights. Ideal for sports, events, or unexpected occurrences.

Highlights
  • Buffered video recording
  • Up to 100 seconds buffer time
  • DualCam Mode
  • 4K video quality
  • Apple Watch remote support
  • Slow-motion support
Features
Read full description

Record the action that happened before the shutter! Save your device storage and skip the tedious post-game editing! Never miss a moment again! Yes, it really records in 4K: up to 4K at 120 fps on recent iPhones (e.g. iPhone 17) and 4K at 60 fps on older models (e.g. iPhone 12), with your Apple Watch as a remote. We're all used to pressing the record button and capturing life as it happens. But what if you could record things that already happened, pressing the button to catch the last few seconds? That's what makes Video Buffer so unique — you set the buffer time and hit the record when something interesting happens. You haven't missed a thing and saved your time and device storage! Video Buffer can be vital in all kinds of ways: Sports coaches and parents can use the app to record in-game highlight moments as they happen. Physical Education teachers could use buffered video footage to analyze performance and settle disputes between players. Sports officials and referees can review their decisions using a Buffer Camera as a video assistant. Drivers can use Video Buffer as a Dashcam, recording unexpected events on the road without overloading device memory storage. Skateboarders can capture only good lands and save time scrolling through many similar frames on the camera roll. Parents can catch their kids playing, making it easy to record that funny interaction that might otherwise be lost. Nature lovers can save time and storage while filming astonishing lightning flashes or waiting for the animal to appear or strike a funny pose. Video Buffer features include: - buffered video recording that ensures you'll never miss a moment - long buffer time, up to 100 seconds - 3 recording buttons, each with adjustable buffer time - DualCam Mode - record front and back camera footage simultaneously - option to capture only the buffer - the recording will end & save automatically - 4K video quality: up to 4K 120 fps on recent iPhones, 4K 60 fps on older models such as iPhone 12 - custom video resolution and FPS (30-240) - portrait or landscape orientation - saving to iCloud or device folders with a custom prefix for the filenames - Apple Watch support — a remote on your wrist to make it easier than ever to hit that record button - Slow-motion support - gives sports and fitness trainers the best look at swing, ball movement, or technique. Note: Works only with some back cameras - set 240 FPS in Settings. If you've ever missed something because you couldn't hit a record in time, Video Buffer is the answer! Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

ThumbCamera4 screens
Video Buffer Pre4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Video Buffer Pre at Free against ThumbCamera's $0.99. Video Buffer Pre also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (45 vs 1). ThumbCamera's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On ads and iOS requirement 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

Video Buffer Pre is free to download; ThumbCamera costs $0.99 up front. Video Buffer Pre sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. ThumbCamera asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ThumbCamera holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Video Buffer Pre has 45 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ThumbCamera ships an update every 10 months, Video Buffer Pre every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ThumbCamera versus Video Buffer Pre: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThumbCameraVideo Buffer Pre
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.5 (45 ratings)
Positive reviews—60.7% of reviews
Number of ratings145 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developersorakaze Inc.michal bojanowicz

Customer experience

ThumbCamera

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Video Buffer Pre

All ratings45 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive60.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

ThumbCamera

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Video Buffer Pre

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is ThumbCamera free?
ThumbCamera costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Video Buffer Pre free?
Video Buffer Pre is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ThumbCamera or Video Buffer Pre?
ThumbCamera is rated higher. ThumbCamera averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Video Buffer Pre averages 4.5 from 45 ratings.
Do ThumbCamera or Video Buffer Pre have ads?
Neither ThumbCamera nor Video Buffer Pre shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ThumbCamera or Video Buffer Pre?
ThumbCamera ships an update every 10 months, and Video Buffer Pre every 6 weeks. Most recently, ThumbCamera was updated on October 8, 2026 and Video Buffer Pre on October 13, 2026.

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