Comparison

CineMeter Pro vs LightStop

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

Head to head
About

CineMeter Pro

This app transforms your iPhone into a cinema-grade color and exposure meter. It provides accurate Kelvin measurements, ND filter recommendations, and on-set monitoring tools like waveforms and histograms. Plan shots with a sun position tracker and save/export your readings.

Highlights
  • Calibrated cinema-grade color and exposure meter
  • Accurate Kelvin color temperature measurement
  • ND filter calculator with APEX system
  • Sun position tracker with AR overlay
  • RGB Waveform and Histogram monitoring
  • False color overlay
  • Gel and filter recommendations
Features
Read full description

Lighting a scene and second-guessing every reading? Stop carrying $1,500 of hardware to confirm your white balance. CineMeter Pro turns your iPhone into a calibrated cinema-grade color and exposure meter built for the way you actually shoot. Built by filmmakers, for filmmakers — the only iPhone meter that pulls real exposure metadata straight from your camera. No guessing, no pixel-brightness hacks. ONE METER. ONE POCKET. EVERY SCENE. TRY EVERYTHING FREE FOR 3 DAYS Full features require a paid subscription or one-time Lifetime purchase. Start with a 3-day free trial — full access to every feature below. NEW: SUN POSITION TRACKER Plan every shot before you arrive. Live sun tracking, an AR sun marker overlaid on your camera preview, and the full daily sun path projected on the live view with labeled markers at sunrise, golden hour, solar noon, and sunset. Scout locations and time shots without leaving the app. ACCURATE COLOR TEMPERATURE Measure CCT in Kelvin from 2000K to 10000K. See green/magenta tint in the units you use — Sekonic CC index, ±, Mired shift, or full CC values. Visual scales show exactly where you sit between tungsten and daylight. REAL EXPOSURE, REAL ND RECOMMENDATIONS The ND filter calculator runs the APEX photographic exposure system to ISO 2720 standard. Dial in your cinema camera's T-stop, ISO, FPS, and shutter angle — get the exact ND density. T-stops in half-stop precision (T1.0–T22). ISOs in third-stop precision (100–12800). Frame rates 23.976–120. Shutter angles 45°–360°. A SPOT METER THAT ACTUALLY HOLDS Drag and resize the spot meter anywhere on frame. HOLD locks the reading like a real Sekonic — not just the position, the value. Take readings on talent, walls, practicals, and compare side by side. A FULL ON-SET MONITORING SUITE - RGB Waveform monitor (luminance, RGB, parade) - Histogram with full RGB channel breakdown - False color overlay with IRE legend - LUT preview support - Illumination meter in lux, foot-candles, EV100 GEL & FILTER RECOMMENDATIONS Tell it your target color temperature. It tells you the exact CTO, CTB, plus-green or minus-green gel. CALIBRATE LIKE A PRO Calibrate against CIE illuminants — D65, D50, tungsten, or custom. Manual temperature/tint offset and ±3 stops of exposure compensation let you trim to match the meter you trust. CAPTURE, LOG, EXPORT Save readings with reference photo, location tag, and notes. Group by date, filter by Today / Tungsten / Daylight / Cool / Logs, or run continuous Log sessions. Export to PDF or CSV. Compare two readings side by side. MADE FOR ON-SET Dark UI engineered for set use. Native iPad layout with a dedicated side panel. iPhone and iPad universal. PERFECT FOR Cinematographers, gaffers, DITs, camera assistants, indie filmmakers, location scouts, landscape and real estate photographers, drone pilots, music video and commercial DPs. PRICING — ALL FEATURES UNLOCKED WITH EITHER OPTION - CineMeter Pro Yearly: $19.99/year (3-day free trial) - CineMeter Pro Lifetime: $49.99 one-time purchase All features described above are available during the free trial and after purchase. The app cannot be used without an active trial, subscription, or Lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when purchasing a subscription. The Lifetime option is a one-time purchase and is not a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://jyvapps.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://jyvapps.com/terms CineMeter Pro is an independent app. Sekonic is a trademark of its respective owner; CineMeter Pro is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sekonic, Lumu, or any hardware meter brand.

About

LightStop

Read full description

LightStop is a professional lighting calculator built for cinematographers, gaffers, electricians and film students. Calculate required illuminance from camera settings, check verified fixture photometrics, apply gels and diffusion, compare fixtures side by side, build your lighting truck and estimate power loads for EU and US sets. Designed for real film work, LightStop helps you understand exposure, output, distance, modifiers and power in one clean, practical tool. FEATURES • Lux / foot-candle exposure calculator Calculate required light levels from ISO, frame rate, shutter angle, T-stop, ND and camera filters. • Verified fixture catalog Browse real fixture photometric data from manufacturer sources and technical documentation. • Fixture detail calculator Adjust distance, output mode, CCT, gels and diffusion to estimate lux, foot-candles, exposure and beam size. • Estimated CCT with gels Apply CTO / CTB filters and see the estimated resulting color temperature using mired shift calculations when data is available. • Compare fixtures Compare 2–4 fixtures at the same distance and modifiers, including output, T-stop, watts, beam diameter and stop difference. • My Truck Create lighting packages, add fixtures, set quantities, favorites and nicknames. • Power View Estimate total load, current, phases and fixture distribution for EU and US power systems, including 230V, 120V, split-phase and three-phase setups. • Metric and imperial workflow Switch between meters / feet and lux / foot-candles. LightStop is made for set planning, pre-production, teaching and fast technical checks on location. NOTES Photometric values may vary depending on fixture condition, lamp age, voltage, optics, modifiers, firmware, beam angle, accessories, calibration and manufacturer measurement conditions. Power View is an estimation tool for planning only. Always confirm electrical loads, distribution and safety with a qualified electrician or gaffer according to local regulations. Terms of Use: https://lightstop.app/#terms Privacy Policy: https://lightstop.app/#privacy

Screenshots

CineMeter Pro4 screens
LightStop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: LightStop at 14.0.0 against CineMeter Pro's 17. On price, update cadence, 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. CineMeter Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and LightStop sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CineMeter Pro ships an update every 10 days, LightStop fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
CineMeter Pro versus LightStop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCineMeter ProLightStop
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS1714.0.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFarah AydoniAlbert Bove Gracia

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CineMeter Pro

Subscriptions1
  • CineMeter Pro3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • CineMeter Pro – Lifetime$49.99
2 purchases

LightStop

Subscriptions2
  • LightStop Pro Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • LightStop Pro Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is CineMeter Pro free?
CineMeter Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LightStop free?
LightStop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CineMeter Pro or LightStop have ads?
Neither CineMeter Pro nor LightStop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CineMeter Pro or LightStop?
CineMeter Pro ships an update every 10 days, and LightStop fortnightly. Most recently, CineMeter Pro was updated on October 16, 2026 and LightStop on September 28, 2026.

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