Lambda Photo vs Retro Lab Photo Editor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lambda Photo
This powerful photo editor allows you to create stunning images with advanced color correction and natural skin tone adjustments. Unlock all features and import/export options with a subscription plan. Experience professional-grade image manipulation on your device.
- Advanced color panel
- Natural skin tone enhancement
- Import and export features
- Professional-grade editing
- Cross-device image generation
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Lambda Photo is a professional color-grading editor for iPhone and iPad. Open JPEG, HEIC, or RAW, work with a live preview, and export a photo you can be proud of — including HDR HEIC that looks right on an HDR display and still holds up on SDR. Built for light, color, and skin. Exposure, Subject Exposure, and Relight give you control after the shot. HSL, curves, film looks, and .cube LUTs put color back in the image without pushing skin off-natural. Finish with subject, sky, and background masks, linear and radial grades, bokeh, grain, and Golden Hour. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Light: exposure, highlights, shadows, HDR, relight, subject exposure • Color: HSL, curves, temperature, vibrance, split tone, LUT import • Detail: sharpen, denoise, Ultra Denoise, texture, clarity • Finish: subject / sky / background, brush, linear, radial, bokeh, vignette • Looks: profiles, film, presets — plus your own .cube LUT or .dcp • Portrait: skin, eyes, teeth — edge-aware, on device • Batch export and edit from Photos or the share sheet • Formats: JPEG, HEIC, RAW, PNG, JPEG XL Everything runs on your device. No account required. Lambda Photo is free to edit; an optional auto-renewing Monthly Subscription removes ads after you save. SUBSCRIPTIONS Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The Monthly Subscription renews automatically unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Unused portions of a free trial, if offered, are forfeited when you purchase. Privacy Policy: https://lambdaindustriesglobal.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Retro Lab Photo Editor
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FilmGrain is a focused iPhone photo editor for classic analog film looks, vintage filters, cinematic color, and polished photo exports. Import a still image from Photos or Files, choose a simulated film preset, fine-tune the edit, crop your frame, and export a version ready to share. FilmGrain keeps the workflow simple and non-destructive, so your original image stays intact while every look is rendered from editable settings. Explore classic film-inspired presets Browse a built-in catalog of simulated looks inspired by color negative film, slide film, black-and-white photography, instant photos, and cinema-style color. Search and filter by family, era, contrast, saturation, warmth, and grain feel to find the right mood fast. Fine-tune every photo Adjust preset intensity, exposure, highlights, shadows, contrast, temperature, tint, saturation, and vibrance. Use the white-balance picker to sample a neutral point from your image and quickly correct color casts. Crop and export Refine your composition with crop controls, then export in common image sizes and formats for sharing, profile photos, social posts, printing, or archiving. Premium creative tools Unlock custom .cube LUT import, save personal presets, and add simulated film grain with intensity control. Bring your own color workflows into FilmGrain while keeping the editor simple, native, and fast. Why FilmGrain? - Classic analog and vintage photo styles - Built-in film-inspired preset catalog - Searchable presets for fast creative choices - Essential color, tone, and white-balance controls - Crop and export tools in one focused workflow - Optional premium LUT and grain tools - Orton Effect - Split Toning FilmGrain’s looks are artistic simulations designed to evoke classic analog photography and cinema color. They are not exact reproductions of any specific film stock.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Retro Lab Photo Editor at none against Lambda Photo's shown. Retro Lab Photo Editor also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). Lambda Photo's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Lambda Photo sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month and Retro Lab Photo Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lambda Photo ships an update fortnightly, Retro Lab Photo Editor every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lambda Photo | Retro Lab Photo Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 174 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lambda Industries | Felipe Beline Baravieira |
In-app purchases
Lambda Photo
- Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
Retro Lab Photo Editor
- Lifetime Pro$9.99
Questions
Is Lambda Photo free?
Is Retro Lab Photo Editor free?
Do Lambda Photo or Retro Lab Photo Editor have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lambda Photo or Retro Lab Photo Editor?
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