# DevelopFilm vs Film Development Assistant

The clearest difference is update cadence: DevelopFilm at every 11 days against Film Development Assistant's every 10 months. Film Development Assistant's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DevelopFilm sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Film Development Assistant sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for DevelopFilm against 5.0 for Film Development Assistant. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 4 respectively.

DevelopFilm ships an update every 11 days, Film Development Assistant every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DevelopFilm | Film Development Assistant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/developfilm-darkroom-lab/id6749870154/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/film-development-assistant/id6751124070/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandrs Bertulis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1825425669) | [Zachary Burns](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833524304) |

## What reviewers say

### DevelopFilm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/developfilm-darkroom-lab/id6749870154)

This app is a pocket darkroom companion for black-and-white film development. It offers official developing times, a smart timer with agitation guidance, and full process control. Track your film details and parameters in a built-in journal to refine your workflow and achieve consistent results.

**Highlights:** Official developing times database, Smart timer with agitation guidance, Full process control adjustments, Built-in film roll journal, Quick custom timer, Darkroom-ready minimal interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Darkroom Pass Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Darkroom Pass Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $34.99 | one-time |


### Film Development Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/film-development-assistant/id6751124070)

This app helps amateur photographers track their film development chemicals and sessions. It monitors chemical batch expiration, usage, and provides multi-stage timers for development processes. Users can also record notes on session quality for future reference.

**Highlights:** Chemical batch tracking, Expiration date monitoring, Session tracking, Multi-stage development timers, Chemical usage calculation, Session notes and quality tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Film Development Assistant Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DevelopFilm free?

DevelopFilm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Film Development Assistant free?

Film Development Assistant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, DevelopFilm or Film Development Assistant?

DevelopFilm and Film Development Assistant are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do DevelopFilm or Film Development Assistant have ads?

Neither DevelopFilm nor Film Development Assistant shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DevelopFilm or Film Development Assistant?

DevelopFilm ships an update every 11 days, and Film Development Assistant every 10 months. Most recently, DevelopFilm was updated on November 5, 2026 and Film Development Assistant on November 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*