Better Camera vs Puro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Better Camera
Capture authentic photos with manual controls for ISO, shutter speed, and focus. Apply realistic film simulations and optional grain. Save in HEIF, JPEG, or lossless TIFF formats with full EXIF data.
- Manual ISO, Shutter Speed, and Focus
- Shutter and ISO Priority modes
- Authentic film simulations
- Optional per-pixel grain layer
- HEIF, JPEG, and TIFF output
- Full EXIF metadata embedding
- Persistent camera settings
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Camera, but better. No AI. No compromise. Better Camera is the iPhone camera app for photographers who want what they see. No scene detection rewriting your photo. No smart HDR flattening highlights. No AI denoise smoothing skin into plastic. Just manual ISO, shutter, focus, and white balance – plus film simulations that respect what light actually did. When the stock Camera isn't enough but pro tools are too much, Better Camera is the camera in between. Simple where it can be. Manual where it matters. Honest about what it captures. BUY FILM, NOT A SUBSCRIPTION Start with 12 free shots. When they run out, buy a 36-shot roll – or the whole camera once, and never think about it again. No countdown, no expiry, no renewal you forgot about. Film you own, the way film used to work. BUILT FOR THE WAY YOU ACTUALLY SHOOT – Manual ISO and Shutter Speed, plus Auto ISO and Auto Shutter – Shutter Priority and ISO Priority modes for flexible exposure control – Three focus modes: C-Auto across the frame, S-Auto locked to your point, and full Manual – Focus peaking highlights sharp edges as you focus by hand, in your choice of colour – Live histogram in the viewfinder, so you can see clipping before you press the shutter – Exposure compensation in third stops with a thumb-friendly stepper – Flash power compensation across five steps, for fill light that doesn't overpower – White balance presets (Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent) plus full manual Kelvin control – Tap to focus in any mode, including Manual – Front camera with screen flash for low-light selfies EVERY LENS, INCLUDING MACRO All your iPhone's lenses in one row, from ultra wide to telephoto. On supported models a dedicated macro lens gets you close enough to fill the frame with something small. FILM, THE WAY IT SHOULD LOOK Ten carefully crafted film simulations modelled on real stocks photographers actually shoot. Each is a proper colour profile – authentic rendering of colour, contrast, and tonal response. Not a slapped-on filter. GRAIN, OPTIONAL A separate grain layer, with four intensity levels, that can be applied to any film simulation or to unfiltered photos. Rendered per-pixel through a Metal compute shader. The grain is monochromatic – a single noise value per pixel applied equally across colour channels – the way real film grain actually behaves. OUTPUT YOU CAN TRUST – HEIF for everyday shooting – JPEG for compatibility – Lossless TIFF for archival, post-processing, and when compression is not acceptable Full EXIF metadata embedded in every photo: exposure values, lens information, GPS, and the film simulation used. QUALITY OF LIFE – Camera settings persist between sessions – open the app and your setup is exactly where you left it, ready to shoot – On-screen rule-of-thirds grid and gravity-based level line – iPhone Camera Control support – Hardware shutter button (volume keys) – Launch from Lock Screen control – Designed for one-handed use BUILT BY A PHOTOGRAPHER Better Camera was made by a Fuji X-T5 and Ricoh GR shooter who wanted his iPhone to feel as deliberate as a real camera in his pocket. No AI. No filters pretending to be film. No menus inside menus. Just a camera, but better. Privacy Policy: https://bettercamera.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Instagram Community: https://www.instagram.com/better_camera/ Contact us: hey@bettercamera.app
Puro
This app offers two distinct shooting modes: one that captures raw, unedited images directly from the sensor, and another that utilizes computational photography features. It provides extensive manual controls for ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and exposure, along with live metering and composition tools.
- Zero AI single-exposure RAW DNG capture
- Standard mode with Apple's computational pipeline
- DSLR-style manual controls (ISO, shutter, WB, EV)
- Live metering with histogram and level indicator
- Zero Studio for non-destructive RAW re-development
- Dual output: RAW DNG and developed image
- Grid overlays and aspect ratio control
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Finally, a camera that doesn't lie to you. Puro Camera was built on a single rule: capture what is there, deliver exactly that, stop. No invisible AI. No Smart HDR rewrites. No Deep Fusion surprises. Just two honest ways to shoot — and full manual control over both. — TWO MODES, ONE TAP APART — ZERO AI Single-exposure RAW DNG, straight from the sensor. No multi-frame stacking, no computational re-painting, no hidden noise reduction. What your iPhone's sensor recorded is exactly what lands on your roll — plus a developed image, every shot. STANDARD Apple's full computational pipeline when you want it. Smart HDR, Deep Fusion, ProRAW — all available, all under your control. — DSLR-STYLE MANUAL CONTROLS — • ISO 100–6400, locked or auto • Shutter 1/8000s to 1 second • White balance: manual Kelvin (2500K–9000K) + Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent presets • EV compensation ±3 stops, fine-grained • Tap-to-focus with AE/AF lock (long press) • Switch instantly between ultra-wide, wide, telephoto, and front cameras — LIVE METERING & COMPOSITION — • Real-time 12-bin histogram • Level indicator • Six grid overlays: Rule of Thirds, 4×4, Golden Ratio, Crosshair, Diagonal, Off • Aspect ratio control: 4:3, 16:9, 1:1 — ZERO STUDIO: RE-DEVELOP YOUR RAWs — Nailed the composition but blew the exposure? Open the DNG in Zero Studio and re-develop it at any exposure, ±3 stops, non-destructively. Your original RAW stays untouched. Pure single-exposure development — no AI, no fakery, no reshoot. — BUILT FOR HOW YOU SHOOT — • 48MP RAW DNG on supported iPhones • Dual output: every shot writes both a RAW DNG and a developed image • Volume buttons as a shutter trigger • Self-timer: 3, 5, 10 seconds • Silent shooting (where the law allows) • Full EXIF metadata viewer • Optional geotagging • Smart gallery: filter by RAW, by favorites, by today, by week • Siri shortcuts: "Shoot with Puro Camera" — FREE OR PRO, YOUR CHOICE — Free includes manual controls, the histogram, the level, and 15 Zero AI captures per month. Pro unlocks: • Unlimited Zero AI captures • 48MP RAW DNG • Every lens, every camera • Zero Studio re-development Subscribe monthly, yearly, or buy once for life — no recurring fee, no upsell, you own it. — REQUIREMENTS — iOS 18 or later. RAW DNG capture requires an iPhone with a Bayer sensor (iPhone 12 and newer). Apple ProRAW where supported by your device. Puro Camera. RAW truth. Manual control. Yours forever, if you choose. — MORE — Privacy Policy: https://purocamera.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://purocamera.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Better Camera at 4.5 against Puro's 1.0. Better Camera also leads on ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Better Camera sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Puro sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Better Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Better Camera has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Better Camera | Puro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (8 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Davyd Horhiashvili | Anderson Marques Oliveira |
In-app purchases
Better Camera
- Monthly$9.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Film Roll$2.99
- Lifetime$59.99
Puro
- Puro Premium Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Puro Premium Yearly7 Days trial$12.991 Year
- Puro Premium Lifetime$29.99








