Comparison

Lighting Ratio vs LightCalc.io

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

Head to head
About

Lighting Ratio

Features
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Lighting Ratios makes exposure calculations quick for photography and film lighting. โ€ข Calculate fill or background stops from any key light value โ€ข Enter key and fill stops to instantly get contrast ratios โ€ข Clear on-screen explanations with step-by-step math

About

LightCalc.io

Features
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LightCalc is the on-set lighting tool built for cinematographers, gaffers and lighting professionals. Stop doing mental maths under pressure - get the right exposure, the right fixture, and the right setup in seconds. Exposure Calculator Input your camera settings - T-stop, ISO, shutter angle, frame rate, ND filters - and instantly see the illuminance your scene needs. Switch between lux and foot-candles with one tap. Ambient Light Meter Use your iPhone camera as a live lux meter. Point at any surface to get a real-time ambient reading and feed it directly into your calculations - no separate hardware needed. Fixture Comparison Compare up to four lighting fixtures side by side at any distance. Adjust count and dimming per fixture and see relative output at a glance. Power & Distance Solver Know exactly what dimming level or distance you need to hit your target exposure. Works with your chosen fixture, modifier, diffusion and gel. Full Fixture Library Access a curated library of professional fixtures and modifiers. Plus users can add their own custom fixtures and diffusion materials - synced across web and mobile. Projects Save your setups and reload them on the next shoot. Your lighting data travels with you. Built for the Set Dark UI, fast inputs, haptic feedback - designed to be used in low-light environments with one hand while holding a light meter in the other. LightCalc requires an active LightCalc Plus subscription. Manage your subscription at lightcalc.io. Privacy Policy: https://lightcalc.io/privacy-policy | Terms of Use: https://lightcalc.io/terms-conditions

Screenshots

Lighting Ratio3 screens
LightCalc.io4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lighting Ratio at none against LightCalc.io's 1. Lighting Ratio also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.5 vs 18.0). LightCalc.io's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. LightCalc.io sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $34.99 per year. Lighting Ratio asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lighting Ratio ships an update every 4 months, LightCalc.io every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 2 level
Lighting Ratio versus LightCalc.io: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLighting RatioLightCalc.io
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.5 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size2 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavin NguyenMatthias Streicher-Feldhofer

In-app purchases

None

Lighting Ratio

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

LightCalc.io

Subscriptions1
  • LightCalc Plus$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Lighting Ratio free?
Lighting Ratio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LightCalc.io free?
LightCalc.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lighting Ratio or LightCalc.io have ads?
Neither Lighting Ratio nor LightCalc.io shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lighting Ratio or LightCalc.io?
Lighting Ratio ships an update every 4 months, and LightCalc.io every 3 weeks. Most recently, Lighting Ratio was updated on October 5, 2026 and LightCalc.io on October 16, 2026.

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