# Distant Surveillance vs Old School Camera Emulator

The clearest difference is update cadence: Old School Camera Emulator at every 2 weeks against Distant Surveillance's every 2 months. Distant Surveillance's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Distant Surveillance sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Old School Camera Emulator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Distant Surveillance ships an update every 2 months, Old School Camera Emulator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Surveillance | Old School Camera Emulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/old-school-camera-emulator/id6766287145/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 32 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sebastien BUET](https://appshunter.io/developer/321941181) | [Aleksandr Kichev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1851404729) |

## What reviewers say

### Distant Surveillance

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-surveillance/id6557080549)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |


### Old School Camera Emulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/old-school-camera-emulator/id6766287145)

Recreate the distinct visual style of early 2000s mobile phone cameras. Apply classic presets to your photos and videos directly on your device for an authentic retro aesthetic.

**Highlights:** Early 2000s phone camera styles, On-device processing, Photo and video support, Classic device presets, New styles and updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OldSchoolCameraEmulator Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| OldSchoolCameraEmulator Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distant Surveillance free?

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

### Is Old School Camera Emulator free?

Old School Camera Emulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Distant Surveillance or Old School Camera Emulator have ads?

Neither Distant Surveillance nor Old School Camera Emulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Distant Surveillance or Old School Camera Emulator?

Distant Surveillance ships an update every 2 months, and Old School Camera Emulator every 2 weeks. Most recently, Distant Surveillance was updated on October 4, 2026 and Old School Camera Emulator on October 10, 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.*