Comparison

Wholegrain vs theLAB

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

Head to head
About

Wholegrain

Achieve authentic analog aesthetics with advanced film emulation. This app offers a comprehensive suite of editing tools, over 50 film filters, and unique effects like halation and bloom to enhance your photos. Unlock premium features for high-resolution exports and custom preset saving.

Highlights
  • Advanced film grain synthesis
  • 50+ film filters
  • Halation and bloom effects
  • Basic editing suite
  • Save custom presets
  • High-res export
Features
Read full description

Give your photos the perfect film look with Wholegrain, an advanced film emulation photo editing app.  We have developed or our own film grain synthesis algorithms to dial in your desired analog texture.  Along with the base photo editing suite we have also created 50+ film filters to get you started based or popular, unique and vintage films.  And with advanced effects like halation and bloom to give you edits character, the sky's the limit on your creativity. Features ---------------- Basic editing suite (grain, brightness, contrast, etc) Advanced effects (Halation, bloom, HSL) 50+ film simulations Save and share custom presets Export with Film edge boarder Unlock advanced effects, pro films for high resolution export and presets. Film Simulations ---------------- Basic Film (Free) Agfa Precisa 100 Agfa Ultra Color 100 (Free) Agfa Vista 200 Fuji 400H Fuji Reala Fuji 800Z Fuji Color 160 (Free) Fuji FP 100C Fuji Provia 100 Fuji Provia 400X Fuji Superia 100,200,400,800,1600 Fuji Velvia 50,100 Ilford Delta 100,400 Ilford HP5 Ilford XP2 (Free) Kodak Ektachrome 100 Kodak Ektar 100 Kodak Elite Chrome 400 Kodak Kodachrome 64,200 Kodak Gold 200 Kodak Portra 160,400 (Free),800 Kodak Aerochrome 100 Kodak Aerochrome 100 (V6) Kodak TMax 100,400 Kodak Tri-X 400 Lomo Red Scale 100 (Free) Lomo Purple Lomo Purple V2 Lomo Turquoise Lomo Hulk-Smash Lomo C-92 Lomo Metropolis Polaroid 669 Polaroid 690 Polaroid PX 70 (Free) Polaroid PX 680 Rollie IR 400 FPP Retrochrome 400 CineFilm 400D CineFilm 800 (Original) CineFilm 800 (Tungsten balanced) CineFilm 800 (Outdoor balanced) CineFilm 800 (Alternative) Phoenix 200 Phoenix 200 (Color Corrected) Creative Simulations -------------------- Anime Bleach Bypass Crisp Warm Futuristic Bleak Horror Blue Summer Vibes Asteroid Town Teal Orange Tension Green Apocalypse Pastel Colors Expired Green Vivid Disposable (No account or signup needed and we do not collect any of your data! We will always respect your privacy) *Film names in the app are just for reference and do not represent the film stock or company. Where possible they try and replicate the characteristics.

About

theLAB

Create film-inspired photos with advanced controls for color, texture, and scan effects. Apply realistic grain, borders, and light leaks to achieve a unique aesthetic. Save custom editing styles for consistent results.

Highlights
  • Film-inspired color and monochrome looks
  • Scanned grain and cinema-style grain
  • Lab scan profiles and correction
  • Halation, borders, textures, light leaks
  • Customizable editing styles
  • Camera capture and import tools
Features
Read full description

theLAB is a film-inspired photo editor for building finished images with color, texture, and scan character. Import an image, then shape it with film looks, scanned grain, lab-style color, halation, borders, paper textures, light leaks, artifacts, and crop tools. Designed for photographers who want more than a simple filter, theLAB gives you hands-on control over the feel of the image: density, warmth, tone bias, grain range, scan character, border placement, and finishing details. Features include: - Film-inspired color and monochrome looks - Scanned grain and cinema-style grain options - Lab scan profiles and scan correction controls - Halation, scanner noise, borders, textures, light leaks, and artifacts - Camera capture, photo import, file import, and share tools - Saved looks for building a repeatable editing style theLAB includes a free editing mode. theLAB Pro unlocks the full film stock library, advanced lab controls, additional grain scans, premium finishing assets, and high-quality export options. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://calebsalvadori.com/thelab

Screenshots

Wholegrain4 screens
theLAB4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: theLAB at every 3 days against Wholegrain's every 4 months. Wholegrain's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Wholegrain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and theLAB sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Wholegrain against 5.0 for theLAB. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 15 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wholegrain ships an update every 4 months, theLAB every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Wholegrain versus theLAB: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWholegraintheLAB
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (10 ratings)5.0 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1015 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB301 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas SchuckerCaleb Salvadori

Customer experience

Wholegrain

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

theLAB

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Wholegrain

One-time1
  • Pro$5.99
3 purchases

theLAB

Subscriptions2
  • theLAB Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • theLAB Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • theLAB Pro Lifetime$74.99

Questions

Is Wholegrain free?
Wholegrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is theLAB free?
theLAB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wholegrain or theLAB?
theLAB is rated higher. Wholegrain averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while theLAB averages 5.0 from 15 ratings.
Do Wholegrain or theLAB have ads?
Neither Wholegrain nor theLAB shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wholegrain or theLAB?
Wholegrain ships an update every 4 months, and theLAB every 3 days. Most recently, Wholegrain was updated on November 5, 2026 and theLAB on November 10, 2026.

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