Comparison

Lightning Camera vs Astro Stacker

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

Head to head
About

Lightning Camera

This app automatically captures photos of lightning strikes as they happen. Simply open the application and let it detect and photograph lightning for you. It's designed for easy use by anyone interested in weather phenomena.

Highlights
  • Auto lightning detection
  • Automatic photo capture
  • Easy to use interface
  • No photography skills required
  • Weather fan tool
Features
Read full description

ThunderCatch detects lightning and automatically takes photos when it strikes. Whether you're a weather fan or just want to capture lightning, open the app and let ThunderCatch do the rest. - Auto Lightning Detection: The app snaps a photo as soon as lightning is detected. - Easy to Use: Just tap to start, and ThunderCatch handles everything. - Simple Interface for Everyone: No photography skills needed, anyone can use it. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Astro Stacker

Transform your smartphone into a powerful astrophotography tool. This app uses advanced algorithms to combine multiple night sky photos, reducing noise and revealing hidden celestial details for professional-quality results.

Highlights
  • Advanced stacking algorithms (Average, Median, Maximum, Minimum)
  • Intelligent and manual image alignment
  • Real-time processing and progress tracking
  • On-device processing, no cloud upload
  • Export high-resolution stacked images
  • Detailed processing insights and logs
Features
Read full description

Stack your night-sky photos into one cleaner, more detailed image, right on your iPhone or iPad. Astrophotography stacking combines many exposures of the same sky. Astro Stacker finds the stars in every frame, lines them up and combines them, so random noise falls away and faint stars, the Milky Way and deep-sky targets come through. HOW IT WORKS 1. Take several separate photos of the same patch of sky from a tripod or stable surface. 2. Import them from Photos or Files into a Deep Sky Studio project. 3. Pick a stack mode and tap Stack. 4. Finish the result with Auto Stretch, styles and colour tools, then save or export. THREE SIMPLE STACK MODES - Quick: averages every frame for a fast first look. - Quality (default): rejects outliers such as plane and satellite trails, and leaves out the weakest frames. - Max Detail: the slowest and most selective mode, with finer alignment. AUTOMATIC STAR ALIGNMENT Stars are detected and matched in every frame, with sub-pixel alignment and a quality check for each frame. Stacking needs clear stars in your photos to line them up. CALIBRATION FRAMES (PRO) Add darks, flats, dark-flats and bias frames to correct hot pixels, thermal noise, vignetting and dust. Astro Stacker sorts frames by file name and exposure, so files named "dark" or "flat" are picked up for you. FINISH IN THE SAME APP - Auto Stretch to bring faint signal into view - Gradient removal for light pollution and uneven skies - Local contrast, vibrance, levels and per-channel colour balance - Styles: Natural, Nebula Pop, Cosmic Drama and Scientific, each with a strength slider - Before-and-after comparison - Quick Enhance for a single photo you've already taken FILES IN AND OUT - Import: photos from your library on Free; camera RAW, Apple ProRAW and FITS on Pro - Export: JPG, PNG, TIFF and FITS, with 16-bit export on Pro ON-DEVICE Stacking and editing run on your iPhone or iPad. You don't need a computer, and your source frames are not uploaded to stack them. An optional account backs up finished results. FREE AND PRO Free: up to 10 light frames per stack, 3 stacks every 7 days and 3 saved results. Pro: unlimited frames and stacks, RAW, ProRAW and FITS import, calibration frames, 16-bit export and unlimited history. Choose monthly, annual or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and you can manage them in your App Store account settings. GOOD TO KNOW - Moon, planet and solar stacking (Planet Lab) is coming soon. Today's stacking needs stars to align on. - Colour FITS files from one-shot-colour cameras are not debayered yet. - Star-trail stacking isn't supported, because every stack is aligned on the stars. Guides to capturing and stacking: https://astrostacker.co/guides Privacy Policy: https://astrostacker.co/privacy Terms of Use: https://astrostacker.co/terms Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Lightning Camera4 screens
Astro Stacker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightning Camera at 50% against Astro Stacker's 0%. Lightning Camera also leads on rating (4.3 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (40 vs 6). Astro Stacker's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Lightning Camera sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Astro Stacker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightning Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Camera has 40 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Lightning Camera's written reviews are positive against 0% of Astro Stacker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning Camera ships an update every 2 weeks, Astro Stacker fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Lightning Camera versus Astro Stacker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning CameraAstro Stacker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (40 ratings) — better1.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings40 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSezer IltekinAhmed Al-Mahmud

Customer experience

Lightning Camera

All ratings38 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral11.1%
Negative38.9%

Astro Stacker

All ratings5 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Lightning Camera

Subscriptions3
  • ThunderCatch PRO Weekly$4.997 Days
  • ThunderCatch PRO Annual$12.991 Year
  • ThunderCatch PRO Yearly$12.991 Year
One-time2
  • ThunderCatch PRO Lifetime DC$19.99
  • ThunderCatch Pro Lifetime$49.99
3 purchases

Astro Stacker

Subscriptions2
  • AstroStacker app$12.991 Month
  • AstroStacker app$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • AstroStacker app$219.00

Questions

Is Lightning Camera free?
Lightning Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Astro Stacker free?
Astro Stacker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightning Camera or Astro Stacker?
Lightning Camera is rated higher. Lightning Camera averages 4.3 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Astro Stacker averages 1.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Lightning Camera or Astro Stacker have ads?
Neither Lightning Camera nor Astro Stacker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightning Camera or Astro Stacker?
Lightning Camera ships an update every 2 weeks, and Astro Stacker fortnightly. Most recently, Lightning Camera was updated on October 30, 2026 and Astro Stacker on October 30, 2026.

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