Comparison

Better Camera vs AstroPlan

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

AstroPlan

Features
Read full description

Plan your night under the stars with AstroPlan. Discover the best targets for your location, see when and where they’ll be visible, and make the most of every clear night. Whether you’re observing visually or capturing deep-sky images, AstroPlan helps you choose what to shoot, when to start, and how long you’ll have. Now featuring a built-in Astro AI Chat agent to help you choose targets, plan imaging sessions, understand equipment, and get quick answers to your astronomy questions. Clear skies. Better planning. Smarter imaging. FREE • Tonight's ranked target list • Home dashboard with moon, Bortle, cloud, wind, and darkness • Calendar planning (day, week, month, year) • Sky Map with disc view • AR sky map (7-day trial, then limited daily sessions) • Popular catalogue targets and favourites ASTROPLAN PRO • Full Messier, NGC, and planet catalogue • Unlimited AR sky map • Save telescope and camera rigs with field-of-view preview • Detailed tonight's outlook and guides on every target • Hourly conditions and 7-night forecast • Pro imaging and About guides tuned to your rig No account required. Core astronomy runs on your device. Weather from Open-Meteo. Optional Pro AI when online. User guide: https://astroplan.p2apps.com Terms of Use: https://astroplan.p2apps.com/terms

Screenshots

Better Camera4 screens
AstroPlan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: AstroPlan at every 4 days against Better Camera's every 9 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Better Camera sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and AstroPlan sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Better Camera ships an update every 9 days, AstroPlan every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Better Camera versus AstroPlan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBetter CameraAstroPlan
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavyd HorhiashviliMartin Wilcox

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Better Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Film Roll$2.99
  • Lifetime$59.99
4 purchases

AstroPlan

Subscriptions4
  • AstroPlan Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • AstroPlan Pro AI Monthly$9.991 Month
  • AstroPlan Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • AstroPlan Pro AI Yearly$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Better Camera free?
Better Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AstroPlan free?
AstroPlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Better Camera or AstroPlan have ads?
Neither Better Camera nor AstroPlan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Better Camera or AstroPlan?
Better Camera ships an update every 9 days, and AstroPlan every 4 days. Most recently, Better Camera was updated on October 31, 2026 and AstroPlan on October 25, 2026.

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