Comparison

PlainCam vs Mayica

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

Mayica

Features
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Maybe it's the camera. Maybe I just love you. Photos of the people we love always look a little better. That thought is where Mayica started. Remember the tiny camera keyring on your bag? Mayica keeps a wall of them. Pick one, hang it by the shutter, and just shoot. Tilt your phone and it swings. Press the shutter and the photo takes on that camera's color and grain. The viewfinder shows the scene exactly as it is. Every camera on the wall suits a different scene: a Sunday afternoon with nothing planned, tulips at the flower market, convenience-store light on a wet road, dense black and white, even a photo that looks like it came from the phone you had back then. Choosing which one to hang today is where the shot begins. FOR YOU IF • You love the feel of film but are tired of scrolling through twenty filters. • You want the photo finished on the spot, with no editing afterward. • You keep photos of the people you love, the light on a trip, and days when nothing happened. SHOOTING IS SIMPLE • Pick 14, 28, 35, or 50 mm, tap to focus, touch and hold to lock it. • Swipe up and down for exposure, left and right for the aperture effect: how much the background blurs and how the lens feels. • Hold the shutter for a bulb exposure and keep the trails of light. • 4:3, 16:9, 1:1, a grid, a level, and portrait composition guides. • Review right after the shot, save or retake, and keep the original too if you like. MAYICA PRO • Import photos from your library or another app's share sheet and give them the look of any camera. • Save and share every camera's photos without the watermark. • Shooting and every camera stay free. Some cameras add a small Mayica mark below the photo on free saves; the camera picker shows which ones. • PRO is an auto-renewing annual subscription you can manage or cancel anytime from Settings. Everything happens on your device. No account, no sign-in. Camera names are inspired by real films and cameras, but their colors are not copies. For ad measurement, Singular processes app launches and sessions plus limited device and network information. Photos and location never leave your device for Singular. This app follows Apple's standard EULA. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PlainCam3 screens
Mayica4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PlainCam at none against Mayica's 1. Mayica's advantage is update cadence (daily 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 Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Mayica sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. PlainCam asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlainCam ships an update every 2 months, Mayica daily. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
PlainCam versus Mayica: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlainCamMayica
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerå˜‰č±Ŗ 邓Chanhee Bak

In-app purchases

None

PlainCam

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mayica

Subscriptions1
  • Mayica PRO Annual$9.991 Year

Questions

Is PlainCam free?
PlainCam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mayica free?
Mayica is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PlainCam or Mayica have ads?
Neither PlainCam nor Mayica shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlainCam or Mayica?
PlainCam ships an update every 2 months, and Mayica daily. Most recently, PlainCam was updated on October 8, 2026 and Mayica on October 18, 2026.

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