Comparison

Layerlight vs RAW2HDR

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

Head to head
About

Layerlight

This app enhances photos by focusing on luminous highlights, allowing users to style the light layer for a cinematic look without overexposing images. It offers precise control for natural or artistic effects and ensures Apple-ready HEIC HDR export.

Highlights
  • HDR Light Styling
  • Highlight layer manipulation
  • Precise control over HDR intensity
  • Natural and artistic looks
  • Clean HEIC HDR export
  • Apple device compatibility
Read full description

HDR and Photographic Styles, together. Adjust the light in Layerlight, export HEIC, then choose a Photographic Style in Photos. Photos from phones and other cameras can keep evolving on supported devices. Shape HDR highlights Adjust light, contrast, softness and highlight enhancement with straightforward sliders and presets. Find the balance that suits your photo. Edit Photographic Styles in Photos HEIC exports support editable Photographic Styles, including in the free version. On supported devices and systems, choose a style and adjust its colors. iOS 27 also supports Texture, Grain and Soft Skin adjustments for still photos with detectable faces. Save your changes, then return to Photos to adjust them again or revert to the exported photo. From one photo to a collection Pro offers higher export quality, batch export, cropping, frames and watermarks, and removes promotional branding. Batch export keeps photos that need adjustments in your editing list so you can finish them later. Built for your device Supports iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo, with a workspace that adapts to the available space. Your photos stay on your device Photo processing happens locally. No account is required, and your photos are not uploaded. Missing person information for Soft Skin is generated on device, with no additional model download. Compatibility Photographic Styles editing requires supported devices and systems; Texture, Grain and Soft Skin require iOS 27. Soft Skin depends on face detection and does not require Portrait mode. Occlusion, small faces and extreme poses may prevent detection. Some photos with native Photographic Styles data do not yet support subsequent edits in Photos or framing changes. See the in-app guide for details. Privacy Policy: https://akinal5765-byte.github.io/Layerlight/privacy_policy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

RAW2HDR

Transform your camera's RAW files into stunning 10-bit HDR images with over a billion colors. Enhance brightness, shadows, and color depth for photos that truly pop. Includes professional editing tools, black & white conversion, and customizable frames.

Highlights
  • RAW to 10-bit HDR conversion
  • Enhanced color depth and dynamic range
  • Professional editing tools
  • Black & white conversion
  • Customizable picture frames and borders
  • LUT and style simulations
  • Universal RAW file support
Features
Read full description

Unlock the True Potential of Your Photos : raw2hdr transforms your camera's RAW files into stunning 10-bit HDR images that bring your photography to life. Whether you're shooting with a Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, or Leica, this app unlocks the full dynamic range hiding in your RAW files. What is 10-bit HDR? Standard photos are limited to 8-bit color (16 million colors). 10-bit HDR images contain over 1 billion colors — that's 64 times more color information! This means: * Brighter whites that truly shine without washing out * Deeper shadows with visible detail instead of pure black * Richer colors that match what your eyes actually saw * Glowing highlights in sunsets, city lights, and reflections Think of it like viewing your photos through a professional slide projector instead of looking at a print — everything has depth, luminance, and presence that jumps off the screen. The HDR Difference You Can See When you view HDR images on modern iPhones, iPads, or HDR-enabled displays, you'll notice: * Sunsets actually glow with warm radiance * City lights sparkle like real life * Black & white photos show brilliant whites that feel illuminated from within * Picture frames make your images pop off the screen with dimensional depth Perfect for Social Media - Share your HDR masterpieces where they'll shine: * Instagram - HDR photos stand out in feeds with eye-catching vibrancy * Threads - Your HDR images will stop the scroll * iMessage - Send HDR photos that look stunning on recipients' HDR screens * iPhone Photos - Full HDR viewing with the HDR badge Professional Editing Tools : * Histogram, Crop mode, Exposure, Contrast, Black Point, White Balance, Shadow Recovery, Lens Correction, Noise Reduction Black & White Conversion : * Transform your photos into luminous black & white images where whites actually glow brighter than standard photos. In HDR, monochrome photography reaches a new level — imagine viewing Ansel Adams prints with a backlight. Picture Frames & Borders : * Borders in any size with any colors * Custom aspect ratios (65:24 x-pan, 16:9, 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, or original) * Flexible alignment * HDR frames create a gallery presentation effect — like matted prints in a professional exhibition Simulations & LUTs: * Adding styles into your images in both SDR / HDR from ranges of 50+ styles Universal RAW Support - Apple's CIRAWFilter for professional-grade RAW processing Works with RAW files from major camera brands: * Sony (ARW) * Fujifilm (RAF) — including X-Trans sensors * Canon (CR2, CR3) * Leica, Apple, DJI, Google, Sigma, Ricoh (DNG) * Panasonic (RAW, RW2) * Hasselblad (3FR) * Olympus (ORF) * Pentax (PEF) * Nikon (NEF) * And many more... The Value of Converting to HDR : Your camera captures far more light information than what standard 8-bit photos can display. RAW files contain this "hidden" data, but you need HDR to actually see it. Standard Photo: Clipped highlights, crushed shadows, compressed colors HDR Conversion: Full dynamic range, glowing lights, rich shadows, true-to-life colors It's like the difference between looking through a dirty window vs. standing outside — suddenly everything is vivid, dimensional, and real. How It Works : 1. Import your RAW photos from anywhere 2. Convert to 10-bit HDR HEIC with a single tap 3. Editing with adjustments, add elegant frames, experimenting with film simulations 4. Share to Instagram, Threads, or save to Photos 5. Experience your photos in stunning HDR on compatible displays See the Difference : The difference between standard photos and HDR is impossible to describe — you have to see it. Once you experience HDR images on an HDR display, standard photos will feel flat and lifeless by comparison.

Screenshots

Layerlight4 screens
RAW2HDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Layerlight at 5.0 against RAW2HDR's 4.5. Layerlight also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). RAW2HDR's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Layerlight sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and RAW2HDR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Layerlight holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Layerlight's written reviews are positive against 67% of RAW2HDR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Layerlight ships an update every 5 days, RAW2HDR every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Layerlight versus RAW2HDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLayerlightRAW2HDR
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB185 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer余坤 李Chris chi-fu HUANG

Customer experience

Layerlight

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

RAW2HDR

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Layerlight

Subscriptions1
  • Layerlight Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Layerlight Pro Lifetime$9.99
1 purchases

RAW2HDR

One-time1
  • raw2hdr Pro Unlimited$2.99

Questions

Is Layerlight free?
Layerlight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RAW2HDR free?
RAW2HDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Layerlight or RAW2HDR?
Layerlight is rated higher. Layerlight averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while RAW2HDR averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.
Do Layerlight or RAW2HDR have ads?
Neither Layerlight nor RAW2HDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Layerlight or RAW2HDR?
Layerlight ships an update every 5 days, and RAW2HDR every 2 weeks. Most recently, Layerlight was updated on October 24, 2026 and RAW2HDR on October 9, 2026.

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