# Alpha Looks vs MergeHDR

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alpha Looks at none against MergeHDR's 2. MergeHDR's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.4). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MergeHDR sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Alpha Looks asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alpha Looks | MergeHDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mergehdr/id6793486041/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 82 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick Warnus](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772274097) | [Sandro Gumz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1194790286) |

## What reviewers say

### Alpha Looks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpha-looks/id6772274005)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### MergeHDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mergehdr/id6793486041)

Automatically finds and merges exposure-bracketed photos from your library. Offers manual control over alignment, deghosting, and tone-mapping for professional HDR results. All processing happens on your device for privacy and offline use.

**Highlights:** Automatic exposure bracket detection, Manual alignment and deghosting, Adjustable tone-mapping styles, Per-exposure layer control, On-device processing, Export to HEIC, Universal Purchase

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MergeHDR Pro (Yearly) | $9.99 | per year |
| MergeHDR Pro (Lifetime) | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alpha Looks free?

Alpha Looks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MergeHDR free?

MergeHDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Alpha Looks or MergeHDR have ads?

Neither Alpha Looks nor MergeHDR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alpha Looks or MergeHDR?

Alpha Looks ships an update every 5 days, and MergeHDR every 5 days. Most recently, Alpha Looks was updated on October 15, 2026 and MergeHDR on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*