# Thermal Camera vs Thermal Effect

The clearest difference is update cadence: Thermal Effect at daily against Thermal Camera's every 2 months. Thermal Camera's advantage is ratings volume (400 vs 111). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thermal Camera sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Thermal Effect sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Thermal Camera against 4.3 for Thermal Effect. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 400 and 111 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 30% of Thermal Camera's written reviews are positive against 22% of Thermal Effect's.

Thermal Camera ships an update every 2 months, Thermal Effect daily. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thermal Camera | Thermal Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (400 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-camera-night-vision/id6450264889/reviews) | **[4.3 (111 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-effect-night-camera/id6480454416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **400** | 111 |
| Positive reviews | **30.0% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Size | 14 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Saken Erzhanev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692552059) | [Artoun Ohanyan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728238441) |

## What reviewers say

### Thermal Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-camera-night-vision/id6450264889)

Transform ordinary videos into extraordinary visual experiences with a variety of unique effects like thermal, night vision, and x-ray. Record new footage or import existing videos, preview effects in real-time, and easily save or share your creations.

**Highlights:** Capture or import videos, Thermal, night vision, x-ray effects, Psychedelic video filters, Real-time effect preview, Save and share creations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thermal Cam Premium Week Promo | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Thermal Camera Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Thermal Camera Premium Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Thermal Camera Premium Annual | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Users love the app's core functionality when it works
- 💾 Ability to save thermal images to phone
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🎨 Visually appealing thermal effects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive paywall and subscription model
- 🚫 Limited free version functionality
- ❌ App doesn't work as advertised thermal camera
- 🔍 Detects light, not actual heat/temperature
- 😤 Misleading free-to-play presentation

**Reported bugs**

- Thermal video upload fails
- App doesn't detect heat from hands/objects
- Only applies visual filters instead of thermal detection
- Crashes or freezes on certain iPhone models (12 mini reported)
- Misleading 'Get' button that leads to paywall instead of free access

**Requested features**

- Functional free trial or demo mode before requiring payment
- Clear pricing disclosure before download
- Actual thermal imaging capability, not just filters
- Better documentation on how to use limited free features
- Real temperature detection functionality


### Thermal Effect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-effect-night-camera/id6480454416)

Explore the world through a thermal lens with this app. It transforms your photos and videos with various heat vision effects, emulating different thermal imaging devices. Easily create and share unique visual content.

**Highlights:** Thermal imaging effects, Heat vision filters, Multiple viewing modes, Photo and video enhancement, Easy to use interface, Share creations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thermal Effects Weekly Trial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Thermal Effects Weekly Promo | $4.99 | per 7 days |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thermal Camera free?

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

### Is Thermal Effect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Thermal Camera or Thermal Effect?

Thermal Effect is rated higher. Thermal Camera averages 4.3 out of 5 from 400 ratings, while Thermal Effect averages 4.3 from 111 ratings.

### Do Thermal Camera or Thermal Effect have ads?

Neither Thermal Camera nor Thermal Effect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thermal Camera or Thermal Effect?

Thermal Camera ships an update every 2 months, and Thermal Effect daily. Most recently, Thermal Camera was updated on September 18, 2026 and Thermal Effect on September 12, 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.*