# illumeter vs LightMeter Express

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: illumeter at none against LightMeter Express's 1. illumeter also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%). LightMeter Express's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LightMeter Express sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. illumeter asks for nothing beyond the download.

LightMeter Express holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of illumeter's written reviews are positive against 88% of LightMeter Express's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

illumeter ships an update every 2 weeks, LightMeter Express daily. The most recent releases landed on July 18, 2026 and July 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | illumeter | LightMeter Express |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/illumeter/id6474086258/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightmeter-express/id6748661409/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 87.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seunghun Yang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586944242) | [Digitaino LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822882839) |

## What reviewers say

### illumeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/illumeter/id6474086258)

This app functions as a portable light meter, allowing users to measure exposure values like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It offers features for logging shots with location and settings, and provides customization options for a personalized user experience.

**Highlights:** Exposure measurement (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO), Tap-to-focus exposure lock, Exposure compensation, Frame logging with location and settings, List and map view of logged frames, Customizable settings and appearance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### LightMeter Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightmeter-express/id6748661409)

This tool transforms your iPhone into a professional light meter for photography. It offers accurate exposure readings with real-time calculations for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, supporting various camera settings and providing exposure compensation.

**Highlights:** Real-time light metering, Precise exposure calculations, Support for standard camera settings, Exposure value (EV) display, Spot metering (Pro feature), Live histogram (Pro feature)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Light Meter Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is illumeter free?

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

### Is LightMeter Express free?

LightMeter Express is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, illumeter or LightMeter Express?

LightMeter Express is rated higher. illumeter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while LightMeter Express averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do illumeter or LightMeter Express have ads?

Neither illumeter nor LightMeter Express shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, illumeter or LightMeter Express?

illumeter ships an update every 2 weeks, and LightMeter Express daily. Most recently, illumeter was updated on July 18, 2026 and LightMeter Express on July 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*