Comparison

PlainCam vs Surface Camera

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

Head to head
About

PlainCam

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PlainCam is a minimal iPhone camera focused on photo capture and output control. It keeps the shooting interface quiet while keeping the essential controls close: viewfinder, shutter, flash, exposure compensation, grid, front/back camera switching, and rear physical lens selection. In Settings, you can choose JPEG, HEIC, and, on supported devices, RAW DNG, RAW + JPEG, or RAW + HEIC output. PlainCam does not require an account, does not upload photos, and does not include ads or social features. Captured photos are saved to the system Photos library. The in-app gallery is only used to browse photos saved by PlainCam. RAW availability depends on the current iPhone and lens hardware. If RAW capture is not reported as available, PlainCam does not present RAW as an output option.

About

Surface Camera

Capture photos with a vintage film aesthetic using a variety of distinct film profiles. Fine-tune your shots with editing tools and save directly to your photo library.

Highlights
  • Eight distinct film profiles
  • Adjustable blur and light leaks
  • Manual focus and exposure control
  • Comprehensive editing suite
  • Direct saving to Apple Photos
  • HEIC, JPEG, and ProRAW capture
Features
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A film camera for iPhone. Choose your film. Compose the frame. Make the photograph. Surface brings eight distinct film profiles to your iPhone, with the look visible in the viewfinder before you shoot. Add blur or light leaks, take control of focus and exposure, and save directly to Apple Photos. FIND YOUR FILM Four black-and-white profiles: Selenium 400, Bromide 125, Metol 125, and Palladium 3200. Four color profiles: Chroma 100, Tonal 400, Radian 400, and Prism 100. Your chosen profile becomes part of the photograph at capture. Editing refines that photograph while keeping its film. SHAPE THE FRAME Position blur and adjust its strength. Add a light leak, then randomize it to explore a different color and pattern. Tap to focus, adjust exposure, and use focus peaking. Flash, a timer, and slow shutter are close at hand. EDIT IN SURFACE Adjust Exposure, Contrast, Blacks, Whites, Saturation, Warmth, Tint, Grain, Halation, and Vignette. Crop and straighten, undo and redo, and save your edits back to Photos. ONE PHOTO LIBRARY Captures and edits live in Apple Photos. Browse your Surface photographs, import photos for editing, share favorites, and manage your collection without maintaining a second library. CAPTURE YOUR WAY Choose HEIC, JPEG, or Apple ProRAW on supported iPhones. Capture at 12, 24, or 48 MP depending on your hardware and settings. ProRAW supports 12 or 48 MP. Open the viewfinder from Siri, Shortcuts, the Lock Screen, or Control Center. MADE FOR YOUR IPHONE Film rendering and editing happen on your device. No Surface account, ads, or tracking. Apple services handle purchases, optional iCloud Photos sync, and location-name lookup. Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean. Requires iOS 18 or later. Camera features vary by iPhone model. MEMBERSHIP Choose a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Purchases are handled by Apple. Subscriptions renew unless canceled through your Apple Account settings. Local prices are shown before purchase. Privacy Policy: https://surfacecamera.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PlainCam3 screens
Surface Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PlainCam at none against Surface Camera's 3. Surface Camera's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Surface Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. PlainCam asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlainCam ships an update every 2 months, Surface Camera every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
PlainCam versus Surface Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlainCamSurface Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer嘉豪 邓Carlos Tarrats

In-app purchases

None

PlainCam

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Surface Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Surface Monthly$1.491 Month
  • Surface Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Surface Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is PlainCam free?
PlainCam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Surface Camera free?
Surface Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PlainCam or Surface Camera have ads?
Neither PlainCam nor Surface Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlainCam or Surface Camera?
PlainCam ships an update every 2 months, and Surface Camera every 2 days. Most recently, PlainCam was updated on October 8, 2026 and Surface Camera on October 19, 2026.

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