# Thermal Effect vs MECW

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MECW at none against Thermal Effect's 2. MECW also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thermal Effect sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. MECW asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thermal Effect | MECW |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-effect-night-camera/id6480454416/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **156** | — |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Daily | Daily |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taalaibek Abakirov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845047526) | [Shenzhen Megmeet Electrical Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556160958) |

## What reviewers say

### 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, Vision Pro support

**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 |


### MECW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mecw/id6651839555)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thermal Effect free?

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

### Is MECW free?

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

### Do Thermal Effect or MECW have ads?

Neither Thermal Effect nor MECW shows ads.

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

Thermal Effect ships an update daily, and MECW daily. Most recently, Thermal Effect was updated on October 23, 2026 and MECW on October 27, 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.*