Comparison

Cam vs Pure Camera

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

Head to head
About

Cam

Read full description

Cam Era turns your iPhone into the digital camera you grew up with. no ugly skin sharpening. no janky HDR. no computational photography. skip the over-processing. your photos come out looking like they were taken on a camera, not a phone. choose between 4K, HD, and SD resolution. add bloom, chromatic aberration, film grain, and lens vignette for the full analog look. burn the date into your photos like a real camera date-back. choose your font, color, format, and style. skeuomorphic design with physical shutter button, zoom rocker, flash toggle. tap to focus. add stickers because why not. no two cameras look the same.

About

Pure Camera

Features
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Pure Camera brings authentic true photography to your iPhone. Images are rendered directly from the iPhone’s raw sensor data through a simulated film process rather than applying a filter to a preprocessed photograph. Most camera applications begin with a processed image and apply color grading. Pure Camera utilizes raw sensor data without multi-frame fusion, Smart HDR, sharpening, noise reduction, or upscaling. The result is a photograph developed through an authentic film emulation—incorporating gamma, color separation, interlayer effects, and grain—using traditional darkroom characteristics rather than post-processing adjustments. This unique approach produces authentic, unprocessed images.. Nine Film Stocks Options range from neutral, accurate profiles to saturated slide film, faded prints, motion-picture stock, and high-contrast black-and-white. Each profile is derived from genuine film properties rather than visual inspiration. Manual Control Users have full control over ISO, shutter speed, white balance, exposure compensation, and aspect ratio. Preferred settings may be saved to named banks and selected with a single tap, or the application may be left to manage exposure automatically. Grain as a Variable Grain is a selectable parameter rather than a fixed attribute. Settings include off, weak, normal, and strong; intensity scales realistically with exposure—subtle at low speeds and more pronounced at higher speeds. Reliable Viewfinder The preview is calibrated to match the final developed image, ensuring accurate framing rather than a generic live-view approximation. Pure Camera is designed for photographers who prefer traditional camera behavior: exposure, focus, and composition are user-defined, while the film handles the remainder authentically. Premium The application is fully functional but limited to the primary lens. Access to additional lenses is available via a one-time in-app purchase with family sharing enabled.

Screenshots

Cam4 screens
Pure Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pure Camera at Free against Cam's $2.99. Cam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pure Camera is free to download; Cam costs $2.99 up front. Pure Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Cam asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Cam versus Pure Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCamPure Camera
Price$2.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size171 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMax RetikGijs Raggers

In-app purchases

None

Cam

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pure Camera

One-time1
  • Premium$4.99

Questions

Is Cam free?
Cam costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pure Camera free?
Pure Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cam or Pure Camera have ads?
Neither Cam nor Pure Camera shows ads.

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