AlphaFTP vs Lighting Recipe
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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)
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.
- 3D lighting setup editor
- Intuitive diagram recording
- Automatic EXIF data import
- Customizable gear vault
- Visual rig builder
- Image export with shooting data
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
AlphaFTP ships an update every 3 days, Lighting Recipe daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AlphaFTP | Lighting Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kristopher Linquist | hiroyuki nakai |
Customer experience
AlphaFTP
Lighting Recipe
In-app purchases
AlphaFTP
No in-app purchases
Lighting Recipe
No in-app purchases









