Comparison

EssenceForge vs Candela

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

Head to head
About

EssenceForge

Features
Read full description

ScentAlchemy: Mix & Master is the essential tool for perfumers to organize their creations, capture inspiration, and manage client orders, all in one dedicated iPhone app. Key Features: Compositions: Easily document and manage your unique fragrance formulas. Add Composition: Record essential details like the aroma's Name, Top Notes, Middle Notes, Base Notes, Concentration (Parfum, Eau de Toilette, etc.), Description (notes), and Maceration Time. View a clear list of your created perfumes with their names and main olfactory notes at a glance. Inspiration: Never lose a brilliant idea! Add Note: Jot down your creative sparks, associations, and sources of inspiration (books, films, nature, etc.). Rate the potential of each idea to prioritize your next masterpiece.

About

Candela

This utility app transforms your iPhone camera into a versatile light meter. It provides real-time readings for illuminance, exposure value, and color temperature, catering to photography, plant care, and room lighting needs. The app prioritizes user privacy with on-device processing and no data collection.

Highlights
  • Live illuminance (lux/foot-candles)
  • Exposure Value (EV) and exposure triangle solver
  • Color temperature readout
  • Plant light conversion (PPFD, DLI)
  • Room lighting recommendations
  • On-device calibration
  • Spot saving and history
Read full description

Candela turns the camera into a genuinely useful light meter. Point your iPhone and read the light around you — live illuminance in lux or foot-candles, exposure value (EV), and color temperature in Kelvin — on one beautiful instrument with a camera-iris dial that opens and closes with the light. One meter, three jobs: PHOTO / FILM • Live EV at ISO 100, plus a full exposure-triangle solver — lock any two of ISO, aperture, and shutter and Candela computes the third. • Color temperature readout for white balance. • Perfect for film shooters, manual photographers, and anyone learning exposure. PLANT • Convert measured light into PPFD and a projected Daily Light Integral (DLI) for the hours your plant gets light. • Instantly see whether a windowsill is deep shade, low, medium, bright-indirect, or direct sun — with example plants for each level. • Stop guessing why your monstera is leggy. ROOM / WELLBEING • Compare a spot against recommended light levels for reading, kitchen work, an office desk, and more. • A clear verdict — too dim, comfortable, or bright — plus a color-temperature note for evening, sleep-friendly lighting. Built for trust: • Calibrate to any reference in one tap so your readings match a meter you trust. • Lux or foot-candles, your choice. • Save a "spot" to remember a reading, with a tidy history. • A built-in Guide explains plant light needs, room standards, and a photographer's EV chart. Private by design: • Everything runs on your device. Camera frames are analyzed live and are never saved, photographed, or sent anywhere. • No account. No tracking. No ads. Data Not Collected. A note on accuracy: a phone camera is a reflected/scene light meter, so readings are a well-calibrated estimate rather than a laboratory instrument. For incident-style readings, meter off a neutral gray card. Calibration lets you dial Candela in to a reference.

Screenshots

EssenceForge3 screens
Candela4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: EssenceForge at 15 against Candela's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
EssenceForge versus Candela: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEssenceForgeCandela
PriceFreeFree
Rating—2.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAni KhachatryanSnizhana Babytska

In-app purchases

None

EssenceForge

No in-app purchases

None

Candela

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EssenceForge free?
EssenceForge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Candela free?
Candela is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EssenceForge or Candela have ads?
Neither EssenceForge nor Candela shows ads.

Other comparisons