HamsterBase vs Portable Light Meter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HamsterBase
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HamsterBase is a tool centered around privacy protection and offline friendliness for use in later reading. The well-designed HamsterBase features the following characteristics: Offline First: It can be used offline without relying on servers.Privacy First: It does not collect any data and prioritizes your privacy.Keyboard First: Almost all features can be easily accessed via keyboard shortcuts.No Data Hijacking: You can store data locally and enjoy seamless API integration with other software.No Subscription Required: It’s free to use during the beta period.Break Device Limitations: Through P2P synchronization, your database can break free from device limitations.Powerful Full-text Search: Unlock the power of comprehensive searches, accessing the full content of every saved webpage. HamsterBase works with all your favorite apps, such as Logseq, Obsidian, Notion, and Siyuan.
Portable Light Meter
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This is an app designed for photographers and photography enthusiasts— a portable light meter application. It helps you measure exposure for time-lapse photography and film photography, and even supports ND filters in aperture priority mode. The app supports both aperture priority and shutter priority modes, exposure lock, saving and recording current metering data, and switching between front and rear cameras for metering. Additionally, it also supports measuring color temperature and EV values.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: HamsterBase at Free against Portable Light Meter's $0.99. HamsterBase also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). On 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
HamsterBase is free to download; Portable Light Meter costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HamsterBase ships an update every 2 months, Portable Light Meter every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HamsterBase | Portable Light Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 119 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 纯洁 林 | 家啟 褚 |
In-app purchases
HamsterBase
No in-app purchases
Portable Light Meter
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HamsterBase free?
Is Portable Light Meter free?
Do HamsterBase or Portable Light Meter have ads?
Which is updated more often, HamsterBase or Portable Light Meter?
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