Comparison

Better Camera vs Phlut

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

Phlut

Features
Read full description

Phlut is a private, on-device LUT editor made for photographers who care about colour. Import your own .cube LUTs, see every look as a live thumbnail and refine the result without sending your photographs anywhere. Phlut includes an original Daylight Print starter LUT so you can begin immediately. FEATURES • Import individual .cube files or complete folders • Supports both 1D and 3D cube LUTs • Live LUT thumbnail grid generated from a fast proxy • LUT intensity from 0–100% • Pre-LUT exposure, temperature and tint controls • Film-like highlight rolloff that leaves blacks and shadows alone • Subtle film softness and adjustable highlight halation • On-screen before/after comparison • Double-tap and pinch to inspect fine detail • Edit one photo or apply settings across a batch • Export the current photo or every selected photo • JPEG and HEIC export with adjustable quality • Preserves EXIF and MakerNote metadata • Send photos directly to Phlut from the Photos share sheet PRIVATE BY DESIGN Phlut has no accounts, analytics or tracking. Your photos and LUTs are processed entirely on your device.

Screenshots

Better Camera4 screens
Phlut4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phlut at none against Better Camera's 4. Better Camera's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Phlut asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Better Camera ships an update every 9 days, Phlut every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Better Camera versus Phlut: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBetter CameraPhlut
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavyd HorhiashviliPAUL JOHN PRIDE

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
None

Phlut

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Better Camera free?
Better Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Phlut free?
Phlut is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Better Camera or Phlut have ads?
Neither Better Camera nor Phlut shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Better Camera or Phlut?
Better Camera ships an update every 9 days, and Phlut every 4 weeks. Most recently, Better Camera was updated on October 28, 2026 and Phlut on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons