Lightframer Pro vs Shadow Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lightframer Pro
This app transforms your iPhone into a professional cinema viewfinder, allowing you to preview shots with specific camera and lens combinations. It also features real-time sun tracking to help plan shoots around natural light conditions and exports scout photos with detailed metadata.
- Real-time AR viewfinder
- Camera and lens simulation
- Sun path tracking
- Customizable frame lines
- Metadata export
- Golden hour and blue hour prediction
Read full descriptionHide full description
Lightframer Pro turns your iPhone into a professional cinema viewfinder with real-time sun tracking. PREVIEW YOUR FRAME Select from a library of cinema cameras and lenses — ARRI, RED, Sony, Canon, Blackmagic, and more. See exactly how your chosen setup frames the shot, right on location. No guesswork. No rental truck needed. TRACK THE SUN Plan your shoot around the light. Lightframer Pro shows the sun's path across the sky in real time — golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, and sunset — overlaid directly on your viewfinder. Know your light before you call "action." FRAME LINES FOR EVERY RATIO Overlay frame lines for any aspect ratio: 2.39:1 anamorphic, 1.85:1 theatrical, 17:9 DCI, 16:9 HD, 4:3 open gate, or set your own custom ratio. See your final deliverable frame while you scout. EXPORT WITH FULL CINEMA DATA Every capture includes a metadata strip with camera, lens, focal length, aspect ratio, sun position, compass heading, and white balance. Share scout photos your entire crew can reference. BUILT FOR CINEMATOGRAPHERS - Real-time AR viewfinder matched to your camera and lens - Sun path with golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, and sunset times - Compass heading overlay - Portrait and landscape modes - Frame line shading and color controls - Photo export with cinema metadata Whether you're a DP scouting a commercial, an indie filmmaker planning your next short, or a director blocking scenes on location — Lightframer Pro gives you the tools to plan every shot with precision.
Shadow Planner
Visualize sun and shadow placement on real-world maps before filming. Scout locations by dropping virtual objects, simulating light movement throughout the day, and measuring distances for precise rigging. Export scenes for planning and collaboration.
- Real sun and shadow simulation on maps
- 3D terrain and buildings for accurate shadows
- Place and manipulate virtual frames and objects
- Simulate light movement from sunrise to sunset
- Measure distances and gear ranges
- Export scenes and share links
Read full descriptionHide full description
Scout the light before you get there. Shadow Planner puts a real sun on a real map. Drop your overheads on the actual location, scrub the day from sunrise to sunset, and watch true cast shadows fall across the ground in 3D — so you know what you're walking into before the truck rolls, and so does everyone you hand the page to. SCOUT ANY LOCATION • Search an address or drop straight onto your GPS position • Satellite, street and dark map styles • Real 3D buildings and terrain, so shadows fall off the geometry that's actually there • Live sun compass with azimuth and altitude KNOW WHEN YOU LOSE THE LIGHT • Sunrise, solar noon, sunset, golden hour and civil dusk for any date and any location, with the day's length • Tap any spot for a shade timeline: when it holds direct sun and when it goes into shade, across the whole day • See the sun's path arced over the map — amber where your spot has sun, blue-grey where something blocks it, so you can watch the moment the sun clears a roofline • Reads the buildings and terrain actually around it, plus your own overheads BLOCK THE SHOT TO SCALE • Drop 12x12, 20x20 and 40x40 frames, or set your own custom size • Dial height above ground, spin and tilt on every frame • Add vehicles and human stand-ins for scale • Stack as many objects as the day needs — each one colour-coded, with its own cast shadow and the area it covers SEE THE WHOLE DAY MOVE • Scrub sunrise to sunset and watch every shadow track with the sun • Pick any date and check the light for a shoot weeks out • Stand-ins and vehicles dim when they fall inside a frame's shadow MEASURE THE RIG IN 3D • Tap two points for a true diagonal distance — overhead down to ground • Know exactly where the base, the truck and the crew gear have to land • Measurements stay locked to a frame, so they update as you raise or move it • Matching gear ranges for the distance you measured, from a PeeWee dolly to a 120' Condor FEET OR METRES • One switch converts every height, span, distance and shadow area, and the gear ranges with them • Gear and frame names stay as the industry says them — a 12x12 is still a 12x12, a Condor 40' is still a Condor 40' • Your choice is remembered between sessions TAKE IT BACK TO THE OFFICE • Save a location by name with its camera angle, date, time, every frame, the measurement and the shade you picked — long-press to rename • Six stops in a day, all still there tomorrow • Export a letter-size page carrying the location, date, time, sun position, sunrise and sunset, the rig you had up, and the lift sizes that reach — so the gaffer, the AD and the office are all reading the same sheet • Same page on every device, straight to Photos, Files or Messages • On iPad, drag the menu panels into the order you work in • Full undo and redo Built by a working cinematographer for tech scouts, gaffers, grips, DPs, location managers and anyone who has ever guessed where the shadow would be. No account. No subscription. No tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightframer Pro at 100% against Shadow Planner's 40%. Lightframer Pro also leads on price ($19.99 vs $29.99) and rating (4.8 vs 4.0). Shadow Planner's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Lightframer Pro costs $19.99 and Shadow Planner $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Lightframer Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Lightframer Pro's written reviews are positive against 40% of Shadow Planner's.
Lightframer Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Shadow Planner every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightframer Pro | Shadow Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 — better | $29.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better | 4.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #95 — better | #183 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | eric Hernandez | Christopher Fenner |
Customer experience
Lightframer Pro
Shadow Planner
In-app purchases
Lightframer Pro
No in-app purchases
Shadow Planner
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Lightframer Pro free?
Is Shadow Planner free?
Which has better reviews, Lightframer Pro or Shadow Planner?
Do Lightframer Pro or Shadow Planner have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightframer Pro or Shadow Planner?
Which is more popular, Lightframer Pro or Shadow Planner?
Other comparisons















