Comparison

Light Meter・Lux Meter vs Lux Meter

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

Head to head
About

Light Meter・Lux Meter

This utility app transforms your smartphone into a professional light measurement tool, offering precise real-time readings in lux, foot-candle, and EV. It helps users meet lighting standards for various environments and optimize conditions for plant growth, with features for tracking changes over time.

Highlights
  • Real-time lux, foot-candle, and EV readings
  • Visual brightness indicator
  • Check lighting standards for spaces
  • Calculate DLI and PPFD for plants
  • Continuous recording and trend charts
  • Save and compare measurements
Features
Read full description

LUX METER — LIGHT LEVELS IN LUX AND FOOT-CANDLES Lux Meter is a camera-based light meter for illuminance. Aim the rear camera at a surface and read the level in lux and foot-candles, plus EV at ISO 100 — desk lighting, a grow light over houseplants, a scene for an analog camera. WHY THE NUMBER IS WORTH TRUSTING ▸ Metering method always on screen: Reflected · Point AE or Reflected · Center. ▸ Readiness comes from a 1.2-second EV window: 6 valid samples over 650 ms within a 0.16 EV spread to lock, then a 0.28 EV hysteresis against flicker. ▸ No fresh frame for 2 seconds reads Stale; unusable metadata reads Error. ▸ Moving the target, changing zoom or lens, returning from background or recalibrating restarts the window. ▸ Nothing saves or samples until the reading is valid and stable. ROOM AND WORKPLACE LIGHT LEVELS Pick the space or task, then run the five-point survey: five samples across the working plane, each held until stable, giving average, minimum, target range, observed min/average uniformity and the sampling grid. 15 practical targets in 5 groups: general office 300–500 lx, detailed office work 500–750, precision factory 750–1000, warehouse and hospital ward 100–200, corridor 100–150, classroom 300–500, library 500+, operating room 1000+, bedroom 50–150, plus kitchen, bathroom, garage, retail floor and restaurant — practical guidance, never legal certification. GROW LIGHTS, PPFD AND DLI FOR PLANTS Measure at the leaf plane of one plant and decide for that plant: pick the plant, the light source and the photoperiod, and the reading becomes a PPFD and DLI estimate in mol/m²/day. 16 plants carry daily targets: pothos and snake plant 2–4, ZZ plant 1–3, peace lily 3–6, monstera and philodendron 4–8, fern 4–7, rubber plant 5–10, fiddle leaf fig 8–12, plus bird of paradise, succulent, herbs, tomato, pepper, lettuce and strawberry. 5 light sources: sunlight, white LED, fluorescent, HPS, metal halide. The sample log marks periods it did not cover, so a thin number never passes for a full day. EXPOSURE FOR PHOTO AND VIDEO The same reading solves exposure: aperture priority, shutter priority and manual across f/1.0–f/64, 1/8000 s–60 s and ISO 25–12800 in full, ½ or ⅓ stops. Each solution gives the exact result, the nearest setting your gear really has and the residual error in stops — out of range, by how many. Manual shows Over / Matched / Under on a ±3-stop scale, and Cine turns FPS, shutter angle, ISO/EI and ND into an equivalent shutter and f-number. RECORDS AND CSV EXPORT Readings, surveys, DLI estimates, comparisons and monitoring all land in one history list — each with its method, readiness state, calibration and mode inputs. Page the archive, export to CSV. ALSO INSIDE ▸ Lock a reading; switch lux ↔ foot-candles in one tap ▸ Lux reference — 16 environments, 0.1 lx full moon to 130,000 lx direct sun ▸ EV reference — 11 scenes, −6 EV starlight to +18 EV snow ▸ A/B comparison — capture A, move to B, get the EV difference and brightness ratio ▸ Continuous monitoring — min / avg / max trend, real sampling interval, samples and missed samples, markers; background time logs as a gap ▸ Guided calibration — enter a reference value, aim at a uniform surface, wait for stable, apply the offset LIMITS AND PRIVACY A reflected-light estimate from camera exposure metadata — not an incident meter, not a PAR sensor, not a certified laboratory instrument — so it depends on the surface you aim at. The camera only measures light: no photos taken or stored, nothing uploaded, no account, and readings leave your device only in a CSV you export. Free covers the live reading and its readiness state; Pro removes ads and unlocks every workflow. Point, wait for stable, read the number — and stop guessing how much light really reaches that desk or that leaf. Terms of Use: https://zeroplay.io/docs/legal/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://zeroplay.io/docs/legal/privacy-policy

About

Lux Meter

This tool transforms your iPhone into a professional light meter, measuring illuminance in lux and foot-candles in real-time. It offers exposure calculations, color temperature estimates, and various presets for different use cases, all while working offline and without ads.

Highlights
  • Real-time lux and foot-candle readout
  • Exposure Value (EV) calculation
  • Color temperature (CCT) estimate
  • Spot or average metering
  • Use-case presets
  • CSV export of readings
  • 100% offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Lux Meter turns your iPhone into a professional light meter. Using the camera and the ISO 2720 photographic standard, it measures illuminance in lux and foot-candles in real time. Whether you're setting up studio lighting, checking your desk for eye comfort, dialing in grow lights for your plants or metering a film scene, Lux Meter gives you the numbers the pros rely on. MEASURE • Real-time lux and foot-candle readout with a one-tap unit switch • Exposure Value (EV) and color temperature (CCT in Kelvin) • Spot metering on a reticle in the middle of the camera view, or average metering of the whole frame • Live histogram, min / max / average and a live chart • A/B compare: pin a reading as the reference and see the difference in EV and percent • Lock a reading, and a low-light path that reads below 1 lux ROOM SURVEY (Premium) • Measure a grid of points across a room and see it as a heat map • Average, minimum, maximum and uniformity (U₀), checked against workplace targets for offices, classrooms, workshops, retail and corridors, or your own target • Share the result as a PDF report EXPOSURE CALCULATOR • Set two of aperture, shutter and ISO — it solves the third • ND filter, exposure compensation and a Sunny 16 helper • Cinema mode with frame rate, shutter angle and the 180° rule, plus a depth-of-field calculator (Premium) GROW LIGHT (Premium) • Turn a reading into PPFD and Daily Light Integral (DLI) for sunlight, LED, HPS, metal-halide or fluorescent light • Photoperiod setting and a light guide for low- to high-light plants TARGETS & FEEDBACK • Presets for reading, office, photography, film, plants and aquariums • Target band with an in-range indicator • Optional haptic and audio meter tick that speeds up as the light gets brighter CALIBRATION • Separate calibration for the front and back cameras, with raw and calibrated values side by side • Manual multiplier, plus multi-point calibration across the whole range (Premium) HISTORY & REPORTS • Save single readings or record the light over time, with notes and an optional location tag • Chart and statistics for every recording • PDF reports and CSV export (Premium) LUX METER PREMIUM A one-time purchase, no subscription. Unlocks Room Survey, PDF reports, unlimited history and recording time, CSV export, multi-point calibration, Grow Light, cinema mode and depth of field. MORE • 11 languages with instant in-app switching • Dark design with a light mode, grid overlay, brightness pin and keep-awake A note on accuracy: iOS does not give apps access to the ambient light sensor, so Lux Meter uses camera-based reflective metering (ISO 2720). For the best results, calibrate once against a reference meter. Measure light like a pro. Download Lux Meter.

Screenshots

Light Meter・Lux Meter4 screens
Lux Meter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lux Meter at 50% against Light Meter・Lux Meter's 0%. Lux Meter also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). Light Meter・Lux Meter's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Light Meter・Lux Meter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Lux Meter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Light Meter・Lux Meter holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Light Meter・Lux Meter's written reviews are positive against 50% of Lux Meter's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Light Meter・Lux Meter ships an update monthly, Lux Meter every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Light Meter・Lux Meter versus Lux Meter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight Meter・Lux MeterLux Meter
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better4.5 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings46 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZeroPlay Ltd.Alper Sumer Guc

Customer experience

Light Meter・Lux Meter

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Lux Meter

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Light Meter・Lux Meter

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Monthly$19.991 Month
1 purchases

Lux Meter

One-time1
  • Lux Meter Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Light Meter・Lux Meter free?
Light Meter・Lux Meter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lux Meter free?
Lux Meter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Light Meter・Lux Meter or Lux Meter?
Light Meter・Lux Meter is rated higher. Light Meter・Lux Meter averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Lux Meter averages 4.5 from 6 ratings.
Do Light Meter・Lux Meter or Lux Meter have ads?
Both Light Meter・Lux Meter and Lux Meter show ads.
Which is updated more often, Light Meter・Lux Meter or Lux Meter?
Light Meter・Lux Meter ships an update monthly, and Lux Meter every 10 days. Most recently, Light Meter・Lux Meter was updated on October 24, 2026 and Lux Meter on October 25, 2026.

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