# CardRunner vs Sync Shutter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sync Shutter at none against CardRunner's 2. Sync Shutter also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CardRunner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Sync Shutter asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CardRunner against 5.0 for Sync Shutter. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

CardRunner ships an update every 9 days, Sync Shutter every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CardRunner | Sync Shutter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardrunner-image-transfer/id6476503178/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sync-shutter-sd-card-backup/id6758906685/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 2 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 37 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Platt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708838724) | [Utkarsh Jain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875668453) |

## What reviewers say

### CardRunner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardrunner-image-transfer/id6476503178)

This app helps photographers quickly transfer selected images from memory cards. It identifies protected or star-rated photos for easy saving or sharing directly from the field, with options for full-size or optimized exports.

**Highlights:** Smart scanning by star rating or lock status, RAW file import/export (Pro), Full-size or optimized image export, Real-time photo streaming to editors, Geotagging for imported images (Pro), EXIF data viewer

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $4.99 | per month |
| All Access | $49.99 | per year |


### Sync Shutter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sync-shutter-sd-card-backup/id6758906685)

Automatically back up photos and videos from your SD cards to multiple cloud services and local folders. The app ensures no manual steps are needed and only copies new files after the initial backup.

**Highlights:** Automatic SD card backup, Multi-destination cloud sync, Incremental file copying, Live progress monitoring, Backup history and stats, iPhone companion app

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CardRunner free?

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

### Is Sync Shutter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CardRunner or Sync Shutter?

CardRunner and Sync Shutter are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do CardRunner or Sync Shutter have ads?

Neither CardRunner nor Sync Shutter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CardRunner or Sync Shutter?

CardRunner ships an update every 9 days, and Sync Shutter every 4 days. Most recently, CardRunner was updated on October 9, 2026 and Sync Shutter on October 7, 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.*