Comparison

the roll vs Filmly · Shared Camera

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

Head to head
About

the roll

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Some nights deserve more than a camera roll full of posed selfies and carefully curated stories. The Roll is a shared disposable camera for you and your crew. Everyone shoots blind. Nobody sees anything - not even their own photos - until the timer hits zero. Then it all comes out at once. >> How it works Start a roll, name it, and invite your crew. Everyone shoots into a shared pool of photos - no previews, no filters, no second chances. When the time comes, the roll locks. Then, at exactly the right moment, every photo from every person is revealed simultaneously. The good, the bad, the completely unhinged. That's the whole thing. And it's better than you'd expect. >> Why it feels different Most photo apps are about curation. The Roll is about capture. There's no pressure to look good, no checking what you shot, no deleting the blurry ones. You just point and shoot - and trust that the moment is worth keeping. The simultaneous reveal is where the magic happens. Opening a roll with your friends and seeing what everyone caught - angles you missed, moments you forgot, faces mid-laugh - feels like developing film from a disposable camera. Except everyone's camera, all at once. >> Built for real nights Whether it's a house party, a weekend trip, a birthday, or just a random Tuesday that turned into something - The Roll captures it the way it actually felt. Not the version you'd post. The real one. - Shared photo pool: everyone's shots, one roll - Blind shooting: no previews, no filters, no do-overs - Simultaneous reveal: everyone sees everything at the same time - Disposable camera aesthetic: warm, grainy, honest - Reactions: relive the night together, shot by shot - Party & Event rolls: bigger crews, more shots, custom reveal times - Add shots mid-roll: when 30 just isn't enough The Roll. Your night, unfiltered. Privacy policy: https://www.notion.so/the-roll-privacy-policy-3273d8355035801eacecd9e0b4b7d9ca?source=copy_link Contact us: https://www.notion.so/the-roll-contact-us-3273d83550358081b5f3fcbd9e70c06f?source=copy_link

About

Filmly · Shared Camera

This app creates a shared camera roll for events, allowing guests to contribute photos that are revealed simultaneously at a set time. It offers a private album experience with features like a countdown timer and AI-generated highlight reels.

Highlights
  • Shared event camera roll
  • Timed photo reveal
  • Private event albums
  • AI highlight reel creation
  • Limited shot count per guest
  • Live Activity countdown
Features
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A camera that hides its photos.Until the cake is cut. Until tomorrow at noon.Then every shot, from every guest, unlocks at once.Capture together. Develop together. Filmly turns any event — wedding, birthday, graduation, trip — into one shared camera roll. Everyone shoots from their own phone, every photo lands in one private album, and nothing reveals until the moment you set. ― HOW IT WORKS ― 1. Host creates an event in 30 seconds. Pick a reveal time. 2. Guests scan a QR code, tap to join, start shooting. 3. Each guest has a limited shot count — intentional, like a disposable camera. 4. At reveal time, every photo unlocks for everyone at once. ― WHAT MAKES FILMLY DIFFERENT ― • Reveal countdown. Photos stay blurred until the host's chosen time — anticipation is the best filter. • Lock-screen Live Activity. See remaining shots and the reveal countdown without unlocking your phone. • Real attribution. Every photo carries the photographer's name. • AI Reel. Filmly stitches the best shots from all guests into a 30-second highlight video. One tap to share. • Zero social. No followers, no algorithmic feed. Just the people at your event and the photos you took together. • Privacy first. Photos live in your private event album, visible only to invited guests. Delete the event and they're gone. All plans include reveal countdown, Live Activity, AI Reel, full-res download, host moderation, and web guest mode.

Screenshots

the roll4 screens
Filmly · Shared Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

the roll and Filmly · Shared Camera are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. the roll sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Filmly · Shared Camera sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

the roll ships an update every 2 weeks, Filmly · Shared Camera every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
the roll versus Filmly · Shared Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterthe rollFilmly · Shared Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB127 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperVan der Velden BV海峰 程

In-app purchases

3 purchases

the roll

One-time3
  • 15 Shot Booster$1.49
  • Party Roll$2.99
  • Event Roll$7.99
4 purchases

Filmly · Shared Camera

One-time4
  • Mini Event Credit$8.99
  • Standard Event Credit$29.99
  • Premium Event Credit$59.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited Event Credit$99.99

Questions

Is the roll free?
the roll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Filmly · Shared Camera free?
Filmly · Shared Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do the roll or Filmly · Shared Camera have ads?
Neither the roll nor Filmly · Shared Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, the roll or Filmly · Shared Camera?
the roll ships an update every 2 weeks, and Filmly · Shared Camera every 11 days. Most recently, the roll was updated on October 7, 2026 and Filmly · Shared Camera on October 11, 2026.

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