Comparison

Darkroom Toolkit vs Spirale

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

Head to head
About

Darkroom Toolkit

Features
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Process film and print in the darkroom, without the math. Darkroom Toolkit is a reference library and set of utilities for film processing and darkroom printing. Browse hundreds of photochemistry formulas, run step-by-step development timers with official manufacturer dev times, and handle common calculations – all in one app. WHY DARKROOM TOOLKIT? β€’ One app instead of separate dev chart, formula, and printing calculator apps β€’ Primary features are free: all darkroom chemistry formulas, official processes, and calculators included β€’ Lifetime Pro unlock for saving favorites, custom workflows, and to support the project FILM DEVELOPING β€’ Pre-configured timers for manufacturer-recommended film + developer combinations β€’ Multi-step processing with optional audio alerts β€’ iOS Live Activity: see your timer on the lock screen β€’ Low light / safelight theme for working in the dark FORMULAS & CHEMISTRY β€’ Extensive darkroom cookbook: developers, toners, lith, alt process, and more β€’ Enter your target volume and every ingredient amount scales automatically β€’ Dilution and solution strength conversion utilities DARKROOM PRINTING β€’ f-Stop printing calculator: exposure sequences and test strip times β€’ Print resizing calculator: new exposure times when changing print size PRO FEATURES (one-time purchase) β€’ Save favorite processes and formulas β€’ Create and edit custom recipes and processing timers β€’ Sync your workflows across devices Whether you're developing your first roll of black and white film, mixing chemistry for cyanotype, or dialing in enlarger exposures, Darkroom Toolkit keeps you consistent. Download free. Upgrade once, yours forever.

About

Spirale

Features
Read full description

Pair a black & white film and developer, pick a fixer and start developing. Spirale guides your sessions with clear timers, agitation cues, and reusable chemistry tracking. The data you need, organized around how development works β€” not around the database behind it. RECIPES. Your darkroom shelf. Spirale pairs each film and developer in one card, color-coded by packaging, so you spot them at a glance. Films, developers, fixers, all major brands are covered. β€’ Reusable developers show batch usage and volume right on the card. β€’ Long press on a recipe to rearrange or delete it. THE EDITOR. All the data, none of the noise. Fine-tune your development variables: target ISO, developer dilution, temperature compensation and agitation style for your chemistry. β€’ See the roll count, mixing date and expiry date for reusable chemistry. β€’ Tap the volume to see the dilution. β€’ Pick from official Ilford, Kodak and Agfa agitation styles. β€’ Add or remove optional steps. THE TIMER. Agitate with precision, leave nothing to chance. β€’ Arcs around the clockface and dots on the progress bar mark each agitation cycle. β€’ Sound, haptic, and text cues show what to do and when. β€’ Tap the seconds hand or the dial to change the timer’s appearance. THE PROCESS. Make it yours. Your own times, recorded as you develop β€” tracked, averaged, and refined. The longer you use Spirale, the more it reflects how you work. The datasheet is where you start. Where you end up is yours.

Screenshots

Darkroom Toolkit4 screens
Spirale4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spirale at none against Darkroom Toolkit's 1. Darkroom Toolkit's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Darkroom Toolkit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Spirale asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Darkroom Toolkit versus Spirale: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDarkroom ToolkitSpirale
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.4 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size59 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobert HouseBogdan Dumitrache

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Darkroom Toolkit

One-time1
  • Darkroom Toolkit Pro$9.99
None

Spirale

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Darkroom Toolkit free?
Darkroom Toolkit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spirale free?
Spirale is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Darkroom Toolkit or Spirale have ads?
Neither Darkroom Toolkit nor Spirale shows ads.

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