Comparison

f/oss vs Light Meter EV

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

Head to head
About

f/oss

Features
Read full description

f/oss is a free light meter for film photography, rebuilt from the ground up as a fully native app. Point the spot-metering circle at your subject and read the exposure instantly. f/oss measures true photometric luminance through your iPhone's camera and is calibrated against professional reference meters. FIVE METERING MODES • Aperture Priority: set f-stop and ISO, get your shutter speed • Shutter Priority: set shutter and ISO, get your f-stop • Exposure Value: read the scene's EV directly • Cine: shutter angle and frame rate for filmmakers • Manual: check your chosen settings against the metered scene BUILT FOR REAL CAMERAS • Camera profiles: save your bodies with their actual shutter and bias limits • Full, half or third stop increments • Configurable shutter, aperture, ISO and exposure bias ranges • Reference lock: freeze a reading and measure scene contrast in stops • Exposure lock for recompose workflows ACCURATE • True spot metering of exactly the circle you see • Full-color light analysis: reads saturated LED and neon light correctly • Verified against professional meters from daylight to low light FREE, NO SUBSCRIPTION Every feature is free, forever. If f/oss saves your shots, there is an optional tip jar.

About

Light Meter EV

This app acts as a pocket light meter for your iPhone, measuring EV, lux, and foot-candles. It helps photographers set shutter, aperture, and ISO accurately for both film and digital cameras. A free Sunny 16 calculator is also included.

Highlights
  • Live reflected, incident, and spot metering
  • EV, lux, and foot-candle readouts
  • Sunny 16 exposure calculator
  • Shutter, aperture, and ISO settings
  • Hold to freeze readings
  • Log shooting with export
Features
Read full description

Luxwell is a pocket light meter for iPhone. Measure reflected, incident, and spot EV live from the camera, then set shutter, aperture, and ISO. The meter and Sunny 16 calculator stay free. Point at the scene, the light on your subject, or a single tone. Hold a reading when you have it. Switch the readout between EV, lux, and foot-candles. Built for film and digital photographers who want exposure they can trust in the field. LIVE METER Reflected, incident, and spot modes Tap and pinch the spot reticle. Spot locks exposure so you can compare tones Hold to freeze a reading Shutter, aperture, and ISO in 1/3-stop steps EV, lux, or foot-candles SUNNY 16 Free exposure calculator. Pick ISO for a shutter at f/16, or pick shutter and aperture for a suggested ISO. A fast outdoor starting point, then adjust for haze, backlight, or subject brightness. LUXWELL PRO Optional one-time unlock. Not a subscription. Live metering stays free. Zone system scale on the live meter Manual 0.1-stop calibration, or guided Align to Sunny 16 Shoot log with export Film ISO helper with reciprocity warning Extra camera presets Restore Purchases is in Settings. Luxwell uses the iPhone camera to estimate scene brightness. Results are useful for exposure decisions but are not laboratory-grade and may differ from a calibrated handheld meter. ----------- Privacy Policy: https://luxwell.paprikatech.io/privacy Terms of Use: https://luxwell.paprikatech.io/terms Support: support@paprikatech.io

Screenshots

f/oss3 screens
Light Meter EV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: f/oss at every 6 days against Light Meter EV's every 3 weeks. Light Meter EV's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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. f/oss sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Light Meter EV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

f/oss ships an update every 6 days, Light Meter EV every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
f/oss versus Light Meter EV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterf/ossLight Meter EV
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuca TescariPaprika Tech LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

f/oss

One-time3
  • Nice Tip$1.99
  • Generous Tip$5.99
  • Amazing Tip$9.99
1 purchases

Light Meter EV

One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is f/oss free?
f/oss is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Light Meter EV free?
Light Meter EV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do f/oss or Light Meter EV have ads?
Neither f/oss nor Light Meter EV shows ads.
Which is updated more often, f/oss or Light Meter EV?
f/oss ships an update every 6 days, and Light Meter EV every 3 weeks. Most recently, f/oss was updated on September 27, 2026 and Light Meter EV on October 7, 2026.

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