Comparison

AlphaFTP vs Lighting Recipe

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

Head to head
About

AlphaFTP

This app allows photographers to wirelessly transfer photos directly from compatible Sony Alpha cameras to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It supports saving images to folders, importing them into the Photos library, and viewing them full-screen with EXIF data as they are received.

Highlights
  • Direct Sony Alpha camera-to-iOS FTP transfers
  • Save photos to a folder
  • Import uploads into Photos library
  • Live connection and upload activity
  • View photos full-screen with EXIF data
  • Built-in Sony camera setup guide
Features
Read full description

AlphaFTP is a simple FTP server for photographers who want Sony Alpha cameras to transfer photos directly to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Start the app, enter the username and password you want your camera to use, choose where uploads should go, and AlphaFTP listens on your local network. The app shows the Ethernet and Wi-Fi addresses your camera can connect to, along with the FTP port. AlphaFTP can save received photos to a folder, import them into your Photos library, and display photos full-screen as you take them! AlphaFTP is ideal for: - Casual shooters who want to quickly transfer photos to their iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS device wirelessly - Event photographers who want their photos backed up - as they take them - Portrait photographers who want clients to be able to review the photos as they are taken without being tethered to a cable. Features: - Direct Sony Alpha camera-to-iOS FTP transfers - Save photos to a folder - Import uploads into the iOS Photos library - Recent photo thumbnails on the main screen - Live connection and upload activity - View photos full-screen with EXIF data as they are received - RAW, JPEG, and HEIF session counts - Built-in Sony camera setup guide - Optional sounds for camera connection and photo receipt - No accounts, analytics, tracking, or external servers AlphaFTP uses standard FTP and is intended for trusted local networks. Camera transfers happen directly between your camera and your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Supported cameras: - Sony α1 II (ILCE-1M2) - Sony α1 (ILCE-1) - Sony α9 III (ILCE-9M3) - Sony α9 II (ILCE-9M2) - Sony α9 (ILCE-9) - Requires camera firmware version 5.00 or later. - Sony α7R VI (ILCE-7RM6) - Sony α7R V (ILCE-7RM5) - Sony α7R IV A (ILCE-7RM4A) - Sony α7R IV (ILCE-7RM4) - Sony α7R III A (ILCE-7RM3A) - Sony α7R III (ILCE-7RM3) - Sony α7S III (ILCE-7SM3) - Sony α7 V (ILCE-7M5) - Sony α7 IV (ILCE-7M4) - Sony α7 III (ILCE-7M3) - Sony α7CR (ILCE-7CR) - Sony α7C II (ILCE-7CM2) - Sony α7C (ILCE-7C)

About

Lighting Recipe

Record, recreate, and share lighting setups with detailed 3D diagrams. Organize your gear, import photo data, and export shareable images. Works offline and supports custom equipment.

Highlights
  • 3D lighting setup editor
  • Intuitive diagram recording
  • Automatic EXIF data import
  • Customizable gear vault
  • Visual rig builder
  • Image export with shooting data
Features
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■ Sound familiar? "How did I light that shot again...?" "The client wants the exact same setup as last time..." "I want to share how this was lit on social media..." Lighting Recipe is an app for photographers to record, recreate and share lighting setups as diagrams. You can register and place your own unique or DIY gear and props — so it works for photographers of every genre. ■ Features - 3D editing mode: build your lighting setup in 3D, check how subject, backdrop and lights look, and see it mirrored in the diagram - Lighting diagram editor: record light positions, height, power, color and beam intuitively - EXIF reading: just pick a photo — camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focal length are filled in automatically - Gear vault: organize your lighting equipment by category, with photos and prices - Builder: assemble lights, modifiers and stands into a visual rig - Dry cabinet: manage cameras and lenses as assets (serial number support — a record that helps if gear is ever stolen) - My Sets: recall your favorite gear combinations with one tap - Image export: combine your diagram and shooting data into a single shareable image - Available in 8 languages ■ Your data All data is stored on your device. No account required — works offline. Premium members can optionally use Cloud Backup. ■ Lighting Recipe Premium (monthly subscription) - Unlimited recipe saves (free: 30) - 10 lights A–J (free: 5) - 10 My Set slots (free: 5) - Expanded dry cabinet: 30 cameras / 50 lenses (free: 3 / 5) - Cloud Backup: sign in with Apple to back up and restore your data Payment is charged to your Apple ID account. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://mafmafgs-source.github.io/lighting-recipe/privacy.html

Screenshots

AlphaFTP3 screens
Lighting Recipe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Lighting Recipe at Free against AlphaFTP's $9.99. Lighting Recipe also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On rating, ratings volume, 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

Lighting Recipe is free to download; AlphaFTP costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for AlphaFTP against 5.0 for Lighting Recipe. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AlphaFTP ships an update every 3 days, Lighting Recipe daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AlphaFTP versus Lighting Recipe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlphaFTPLighting Recipe
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKristopher Linquisthiroyuki nakai

Customer experience

AlphaFTP

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Lighting Recipe

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

AlphaFTP

No in-app purchases

None

Lighting Recipe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AlphaFTP free?
AlphaFTP costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lighting Recipe free?
Lighting Recipe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AlphaFTP or Lighting Recipe?
AlphaFTP and Lighting Recipe are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do AlphaFTP or Lighting Recipe have ads?
Neither AlphaFTP nor Lighting Recipe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AlphaFTP or Lighting Recipe?
AlphaFTP ships an update every 3 days, and Lighting Recipe daily. Most recently, AlphaFTP was updated on October 15, 2026 and Lighting Recipe on October 8, 2026.

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