Comparison

ColorDev Timer vs Darkroom Studios

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

Head to head
About

ColorDev Timer

Features
Read full description

ColorDev Timer is designed for analog photographers developing color film (C-41) who want a clear, reliable, and distraction-free workflow. Choose your development kit, enter the total chemistry volume, how many rolls have already been processed, and whether you’re pushing or pulling film. The app calculates the timings and guides you through each development phase with a clear, lab-friendly timer. All development phases are listed with their individual durations, and the current phase is clearly highlighted. You can start any phase with a single tap and reset the entire process whenever needed. ColorDev Timer also tracks chemical usage, helping you know when your chemistry is approaching its recommended limits. Key features: • Phase-based development timer • Push / pull support • Development kit and volume selection • Roll usage tracking • Clean interface suitable for darkroom use • Designed for real analog workflows • App for Apple Watch No ads. No accounts. No clutter. Just analog photography.

About

Darkroom Studios

This app helps analog photographers manage their darkroom printing process. It tracks equipment, darkroom setups, and print parameters to ensure repeatable results. Guided sessions with timed stages and live previews aid in achieving desired outcomes.

Highlights
  • Register and track darkroom gear
  • Build and save repeatable darkroom setups
  • Guided printing sessions with timed stages
  • Live print previews with parameter adjustments
  • Save and share print results with parameters
  • No ads or tracking
Features
Read full description

Darkroom Studios is a workbench for analog printing. It keeps track of the gear you own, the darkrooms you build from it, and every print you pull — so a result you liked six months ago is a setup you can repeat tonight. REGISTER YOUR GEAR Add your enlargers, lenses, easels, timers, and chemistry. Each item carries the details that actually matter at the baseboard, so you are not guessing which lens was on the column for a print you made last spring. BUILD REPEATABLE DARKROOMS Group gear into named darkrooms — a full working setup you can select in one tap. Set one as your default and every new session starts from known ground. RUN GUIDED SESSIONS A printing session walks through nine steps, from exposure to wash. Each stage is timed against the wall clock, and the app notifies you when a stage is over, so you can keep both hands on the print instead of watching a timer. DIAL IN THE PRINT Set contrast grade, exposure time, aperture, and darkness before you commit, and see a live preview rendered from your own photograph. Burn and dodge to shape the result. The preview works from the actual image you are printing — it is not a stock simulation. KEEP EVERY RESULT Photograph the negative or the finished print with the camera, or pick an image from your library. Each completed session is saved with a rendered print and the full parameter set that produced it. Save finished prints back to your photo library or share them. NO ADS, NO TRACKING There is no advertising in Darkroom Studios and no analytics or tracking SDK of any kind. Your gear, your sessions, and your images are yours.

Screenshots

ColorDev Timer4 screens
Darkroom Studios4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Darkroom Studios at none against ColorDev Timer's 1. Darkroom Studios also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). ColorDev Timer's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. ColorDev Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Darkroom Studios asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ColorDev Timer ships an update every 3 months, Darkroom Studios fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ColorDev Timer versus Darkroom Studios: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColorDev TimerDarkroom Studios
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAngel David RodriguezJunziTech Solutions LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ColorDev Timer

One-time1
  • Buy me a coffee$2.99
None

Darkroom Studios

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ColorDev Timer free?
ColorDev Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Darkroom Studios free?
Darkroom Studios is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ColorDev Timer or Darkroom Studios have ads?
Neither ColorDev Timer nor Darkroom Studios shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ColorDev Timer or Darkroom Studios?
ColorDev Timer ships an update every 3 months, and Darkroom Studios fortnightly. Most recently, ColorDev Timer was updated on November 5, 2026 and Darkroom Studios on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons