Darkroom Assistant vs Darkroom Companion
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Darkroom Assistant
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Make better darkroom printsβand preserve every decision that got you there. Darkroom Assistant is a purpose-built workflow app for black-and-white darkroom printers. It connects what you see in the print to the exposure, dodging, burning, and sequencing needed to make the next one. Map adjustments on the image, work in stops, and let Darkroom Assistant calculate the actual exposure times. You donβt need an expensive programmable f-stop timer to use an advanced f-stop printing workflow. Whether your timer counts in stops or only in seconds, the calculations, visual map, and printing sequence stay connected to the image. If you have ever made a great print and struggled to recreate it, searched through scattered notes, or wasted paper rebuilding a previous result, Darkroom Assistant brings the complete printing process together. It does not automate printing or replace your judgment. Your eye decides what the print needs. Darkroom Assistant translates that decision into the next exposureβand preserves the path when the session ends. VISUAL DODGING AND BURNING Map local adjustments on the print image instead of trying to connect handwritten times to remembered areas. Set the desired change in stops, and Darkroom Assistant calculates the corresponding dodge or burn times and organizes them into a clear printing sequence. A programmable f-stop timer can count exposure in stops. Darkroom Assistant goes further by connecting each adjustment to the image, calculating the time for that operation, and preserving the reasoning behind the print. PRINT PROJECTS AND PRINT LOGS Organize each image as a project and preserve the path from test strip to final print. Keep multiple interpretations together, compare them over time, and return later without reconstructing the session from memory. Record paper, developer, filtration, exposure, contrast, notes, and the decisions made along the way. A short version note on the physical print can lead you back to the complete plan in Darkroom Assistant. TEST STRIPS AND SPLIT-GRADE PRINTING Build and document test-strip and split-grade workflows inside the app. Compare results, refine exposure and contrast, and carry your decisions forward without starting over. SCALE PRINTS WITHOUT STARTING OVER When you change print dimensions, Darkroom Assistant can scale the exposure steps in the complete Print Logβnot just the base exposure. Carry a successful plan into the new size and begin with a calculated starting point instead of rebuilding every exposure, dodge, and burn from scratch. Additional calculators help with changes in exposure, aperture, filtration, neutral density, and print size. DARKROOM TIMERS Use focused, distraction-free timers designed for printing and film-development sessions. FILM DEVELOPMENT Create and run film-development workflows with organized formulas, timing, and session records alongside your printing tools. BACKUP AND RESTORE Protect your darkroom library with manual backup and restore. LEARN AND GET SUPPORT Use the video guide and subscriber community for help. DARKROOM ASSISTANT HELPS YOU: β’ Translate visual decisions into precise exposure steps β’ Use an advanced f-stop workflow without an expensive programmable timer β’ Plan dodging and burning without calculating every time in your head β’ Scale complete printing plans when changing print size β’ Reduce avoidable paper and chemistry waste β’ Preserve successful prints and multiple interpretations β’ Spend less time reconstructing old sessions β’ Build a consistent, repeatable darkroom process BUILT BY A DARKROOM PRINTER Darkroom Assistant was created by a working darkroom printer with decades of hands-on experience. Its tools come from real workflows developed at the enlargerβnot from an attempt to replace analog craft with automation. Practical tools for photographers who care deeply about the craft. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Darkroom Companion
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Free film developing times and a multi-step darkroom timer for black-and-white film. Built-in development chart for common film and developer combinations, dilution calculator, reciprocity calculator and a red night mode. No subscription, no ads. Whether you are developing your first roll or your thousandth, it keeps the whole process in one place. FREE β NO SUBSCRIPTION, NO ADS β’ Multi-step timer β developer, stop bath, fixer, wash, wetting agent β with sound and haptic agitation cues β’ Night (red) mode that preserves your dark adaptation β’ Development time calculator for bath temperature and push/pull (Β± stops) β’ Built-in database of times for common film and developer combinations β’ Dilution calculator β how much concentrate, how much water β’ Celsius or Fahrenheit, whichever you think in β’ Reciprocity calculator for long exposures β’ One custom recipe and the last three developments in the log DARKROOM PRO β one-time unlock, no subscription β’ Unlimited custom recipes and custom process steps β’ Chemistry log β tracks expiry and exhaustion, warns you before you pour dead fixer β’ Unlimited development history β’ Data export and import Times are indicative. Verify them against the manufacturer datasheet before real use β the app reminds you as well. PRIVACY The app collects only anonymous usage statistics β which screens are opened and which features are used β so it can be improved. It does not send your recipes, log, notes or anything else you type into it, and it uses no advertising identifiers.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Darkroom Companion at none against Darkroom Assistant's 1. Darkroom Assistant's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Darkroom Assistant sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year. Darkroom Companion asks for nothing beyond the download.
Darkroom Assistant ships an update every 4 days, Darkroom Companion fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Darkroom Assistant | Darkroom Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days β better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Distinction Photo LLC | Stanislav Grunfeld |
In-app purchases
Darkroom Assistant
- Darkroom Assistant Standard$39.991 Year
Darkroom Companion
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Darkroom Assistant free?
Is Darkroom Companion free?
Do Darkroom Assistant or Darkroom Companion have ads?
Which is updated more often, Darkroom Assistant or Darkroom Companion?
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