Bitmap Camera vs Smolcam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bitmap Camera
This app transforms your camera feed into a real-time, black and white pixelated mosaic. Explore a unique visual style inspired by retro technology with adjustable controls for a bold, abstract aesthetic.
- Real-time black & white pixelation
- Adjustable pixelation intensity
- Luminance threshold fine-tuning
- Invert mode
- Capture high-quality PNG images
- Record pixelated video
- Offline functionality
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Bitmap Cam – Pixelate Reality in Black & White Capture the world in high-contrast pixel blocks Discover a new way of seeing. Bitmap Cam turns your camera feed into a bold mosaic of black and white pixels — live, in real time. Inspired by retro computers and early vision systems, this artistic camera app transforms everyday scenes into striking, abstract compositions. With intuitive sliders and clean UI controls, you’re always in command of the pixel effect. Whether you’re into tech minimalism, retro aesthetics, or experimental photography, Bitmap Cam delivers. Key Features - Real-time black & white pixelation - Adjustable Pixelation Intensity (1%–100%) - Fine-tune the Luminance Threshold to control brightness cut-off - Invert mode for dramatic visual flips - Capture high-quality PNG images - Record pixelated video with a single tap - Switch between front and rear cameras - Choose from built-in camera presets: VGA, HD, or UHD - Stylish, responsive UI with no clutter - Use the Volume Buttons to Capture a Photo (Short Press) or Record a Video (Long Press) Privacy First - Bitmap Cam works entirely offline. - No ads. No data collection. No tracking. Designed for Creators - Perfect for Glitch & pixel art lovers - Designers seeking high-contrast references - Fans of early computer vision or retro tech - Kids exploring abstract photo effects Tech Behind the Scenes - Built using Metal for fast, real-time rendering - Shader-driven luminance filtering and pixel matrix logic Get Bitmap Cam now Minimal. Bold. Beautifully pixelated
Smolcam
This app offers a customizable retro camera experience with a variety of color palettes and dithering options. It provides a simple, distraction-free interface for capturing and saving photos instantly to your library.
- Customizable retro aesthetic
- Multiple color palettes (3-bit to 24-bit)
- Bayer ordered dithering option
- Zoom support for all device cameras
- Instant save to photo library
- Distraction-free interface
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Smolcam transforms your iPhone into a small, lightweight camera with a customizable retro aesthetic. Features: - Completely free: no ads or in-app purchases - Choose from 8 colors (3-bit) to 16 million (24-bit) color palettes - Enable Bayer ordered dithering, or blue noise dithering for increased detail at low bit depths - Supports zooming through all the cameras your phone has - Instant save to photo library - Simple distraction-free interface that runs smoothly on any device and won't kill your battery
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Smolcam at Free against Bitmap Camera's $1.99. Bitmap Camera's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Smolcam is free to download; Bitmap Camera costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bitmap Camera against 5.0 for Smolcam. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Bitmap Camera ships an update every 5 months, Smolcam every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bitmap Camera | Smolcam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Philippe Zay | Jasper Morgal |
Customer experience
Bitmap Camera
Smolcam
In-app purchases
Bitmap Camera
No in-app purchases
Smolcam
No in-app purchases
