Comparison

Wait Cam vs Darkplug

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Wait Cam

This app simulates the nostalgic experience of waiting for photos to develop, with a randomized development time between one hour and one week. Users receive notifications when their images are ready, often with a surprise filter applied.

Highlights
  • Randomized photo development time
  • Surprise image reveals
  • Nearly 200 unique filters
  • Optional filter removal
  • Save to camera roll
  • Share to social media
Read full description

Go back in time when you had to wait for your photographs to be developed - but in a fun way. Wait Cam has a twist. You don’t know how long it will take for the image to be ready. It can take anything between one hour till one week. Whenever you get a notification that there are a new image ready, you’ll get a fun surprise which image it is. Maybe you even forgot that you took the image. The image will also get a random filter added to it. That can be removed if you don’t want it, or you can add different ones randomly. Wait Cam has almost 200 different filters that can be added which includes Bokeh Dust Light leak Old analog films Naturally can save the images to your camera-roll or share it to common social media. We are eager to hear from you. We just love to hear both good stuff and bad stuff. And it's much likely that your opinion will be added into the next update. Please don't hesitate to contact us at: support@miiam.net

About

Darkplug

This app acts as a darkroom timer and printing tool, allowing control of enlargers via a compatible smart plug. It offers precise timing, guided workflows, and a red-on-black interface for film photographers.

Highlights
  • Enlarger control via smart plug
  • Precise timing
  • Guided workflows
  • Red-on-black interface
  • F-Stop timing
  • Dodge and burn planning
  • Guided developing timer
Read full description

Darkplug is a darkroom timer and printing tool for iPhone. It lets you control your enlarger from your iPhone using a compatible Shelly smart plug on your local network. Built for film photographers and darkroom printers, Darkplug combines precise timing, guided workflows, and a red-on-black interface designed for darkroom use. The clean timer interface is designed to stay practical under safelight conditions, with large controls and minimal clutter. Darkplug+ unlocks advanced printing tools, including F-Stop timing, guided test strips, dodge and burn planning, split grade printing, guided paper developing, and reusable Dodge & Burn plan codes. The guided test strip workflow helps you build and run exposure tests in seconds or F-Stops, then apply your preferred result as the print time. The Dodge & Burn workflow helps you plan local exposure changes, review a generated print plan, and follow guided execution steps in the darkroom. Plans can be exported and restored later with reusable plan codes. Darkplug also includes a guided developing timer for developer, stop, fix, and wash, so printing and paper processing can stay in one focused app. To use Darkplug, connect your enlarger to a compatible smart plug, make sure the plug and your iPhone are on the same local network, enter the plug’s local IP address, and connect. No account login is required. No cloud backend or external web service is needed for core timer operation. Compatible smart plugs: Shelly Plus Plug S Gen2, Shelly Plus Plug UK Gen2, Shelly Plug S Gen3, Shelly Outdoor Plug S Gen3, Shelly Plug M Gen3, and Shelly Plug US Gen4.

Screenshots

Wait Cam4 screens
Darkplug4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Darkplug at 5.0 against Wait Cam's 4.3. Wait Cam's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Wait Cam sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Darkplug sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Darkplug holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Wait Cam versus Darkplug: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWait CamDarkplug
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcus CarlssonPETER DR SZENTKIRALYI

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Wait Cam

One-time6
  • Remake images$0.99
  • Default timer$0.99
  • More filters$0.99
Show 3 more
  • Discount$0.99
  • Full Access$1.99
  • Pro$1.99
1 purchases

Darkplug

One-time1
  • Darkplug+$24.99

Questions

Is Wait Cam free?
Wait Cam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Darkplug free?
Darkplug is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wait Cam or Darkplug?
Darkplug is rated higher. Wait Cam averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Darkplug averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Wait Cam or Darkplug have ads?
Neither Wait Cam nor Darkplug shows ads.

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