Comparison

Illuminance 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

Illuminance Meter

Transform your iPhone into a professional light meter to measure illuminance in lux or foot-candles. Ideal for photographers, plant enthusiasts, and workplace safety, it provides instant, accurate light readings with various specialized modes and data export options.

Highlights
  • Real-time lux measurement with live gauge
  • Photography mode for exposure value (EV) calculation
  • Plant light mode with recommendations
  • Workplace standards verification
  • Measurement history with export options
  • Spectrum analysis for color temperature and CRI
  • Multiple illuminance unit switching
Features
Read full description

PREMIUM — PURCHASE REQUIRED: All features described below are part of Pro and require a purchase: a weekly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Point your iPhone camera at any light and read it in seconds: illuminance in lux and foot-candles, color temperature in Kelvin, photographic EV, and PPFD for your plants. One meter, already in your pocket. Most light meter apps do one thing. Pocket Lux Meter is the whole bench: a live illuminance meter you can calibrate against a trusted reference, plus a spectrum view, film-photography exposure tables, grow-light conversion, a room uniformity grid, and PDF/CSV reports you can hand to someone. Readings are honest estimates from your camera — the app tells you so, and calibration keeps them close. WHAT YOU GET • Know in seconds whether your desk hits the 500 lux an office task needs — a live reading with min, max and average that settles as you sweep the room • See any bulb's color temperature in Kelvin, so the "warm white" you just bought actually matches the 2700K lamps already in the ceiling • Walk into a scene with your film camera and leave with a usable exposure — EV turned into ISO, shutter and aperture pairs you can dial straight in • Find out if your monstera is starving: lux converted to PPFD and DLI for the exact light source, matched against ranges for common houseplants from succulents to ZZ plants • Prove a room is evenly lit with the grid uniformity test — measure point by point instead of guessing • Hand a client or facilities team a PDF or CSV report of saved readings, complete with notes, tags and history comparisons PERFECT FOR • Film photographers metering scenes without a handheld exposure meter • Plant owners and growers dialing in LED, HPS, metal halide or fluorescent lights • Facility managers and office planners checking workspace lighting against reference ranges • Anyone comparing bulbs, fixing a dim desk or testing a new lamp WHY NOT JUST BUY A HARDWARE LUX METER? A decent standalone meter costs real money and lives in a drawer. Your phone is already with you. Calibrate this app once against a reference and it stays useful — and it does what a basic lux meter can't: Kelvin readings, exposure tables, PPFD and DLI conversion, uniformity grids and shareable reports. For regulated or safety-critical work, use certified equipment; for everything else, this is the meter you'll actually have on hand. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Measurements, notes, tags and calibration settings stay in local storage on your device. Camera frames are processed on-device and never saved. No account, no sign-up. PREMIUM (PURCHASE REQUIRED) Pocket Lux Meter requires an active plan. Full access unlocks every tool: the live lux/foot-candle/EV meter, spectrum and color temperature view, photography exposure tables, plant PPFD and DLI mode, grid uniformity, lighting standards, quick test, screen brightness test, smart analysis, history comparison, and CSV/PDF export. Choose a weekly subscription, a yearly subscription, or a lifetime one-time purchase. Localized prices are shown in the app before you pay. Point your camera at the nearest lamp and get your first reading in under ten seconds. Terms of Use: https://leanstudio.asia/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://leanstudio.asia/privacy-policy Support: support@leanstudio.asia

About

LUX Meter

This app measures ambient light levels in lux or foot-candles using your iPhone camera. It provides instant feedback on whether a space is too dim, comfortable, or bright enough for various tasks and offers calibration options.

Highlights
  • Lux and foot-candle readings
  • Lighting target presets
  • Live brightness scale
  • Hold mode for measurements
  • Session min, average, and max
  • Calibration against trusted value
  • Private on-device metering
Features
Read full description

LUX Meter is a private light meter for quick, practical illuminance checks with your iPhone camera. Measure ambient light in lux or foot-candles, compare rooms and work areas, check desk lighting, find brighter spots for plants, and see whether a space is too dim, comfortable, or bright enough for detailed tasks. Pick a target for your task — reading, office, kitchen, plants and more — and get instant "too dim / good / too bright" feedback as you move the phone. Simple and trustworthy: no account, no ads, no tracking, no photo storage. Features: - Lux and foot-candle readings - Lighting target presets with live in-range feedback - Live brightness scale with plain-language guidance - Hold mode to freeze a measurement - Session min, average and max - Calibration against one trusted lux value - Practical guide with common light levels - Paper-diffuser guidance for incident light - Private on-device camera metering Important: LUX Meter estimates illuminance from camera exposure. Great for quick checks, comparisons, and plant or room-light decisions. For regulated, safety-critical, or professional compliance measurements, use a certified lux meter.

Screenshots

Illuminance Meter4 screens
LUX Meter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LUX Meter at none against Illuminance Meter's 3. LUX Meter also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). 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. Illuminance Meter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. LUX Meter asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Illuminance Meter ships an update every 3 months, LUX Meter every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Illuminance Meter versus LUX Meter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIlluminance MeterLUX Meter
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.3 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLEAN ASIA CO., LTDYannick Binay

Customer experience

Illuminance Meter

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

LUX Meter

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Illuminance Meter

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Weekly Plan$3.997 Days
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$39.99
None

LUX Meter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Illuminance Meter free?
Illuminance Meter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LUX Meter free?
LUX Meter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Illuminance Meter or LUX Meter have ads?
Neither Illuminance Meter nor LUX Meter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Illuminance Meter or LUX Meter?
Illuminance Meter ships an update every 3 months, and LUX Meter every 3 days. Most recently, Illuminance Meter was updated on November 7, 2026 and LUX Meter on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons