# theLAB vs Chroia

The clearest difference is update cadence: theLAB at every 2 days against Chroia's every 9 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. theLAB sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Chroia sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

theLAB ships an update every 2 days, Chroia every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | theLAB | Chroia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thelab-mobile/id6781197507/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **12** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 296 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Caleb Salvadori](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781197509) | [Jaehoon Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889076539) |

## What reviewers say

### theLAB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thelab-mobile/id6781197507)

Create film-inspired photos with advanced controls for color, texture, and scan effects. Apply realistic grain, borders, and light leaks to achieve a unique aesthetic. Save custom editing styles for consistent results.

**Highlights:** Film-inspired color and monochrome looks, Scanned grain and cinema-style grain, Lab scan profiles and correction, Halation, borders, textures, light leaks, Customizable editing styles, Camera capture and import tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| theLAB Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| theLAB Pro Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### Chroia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chroia-riso-print-camera/id6807805077)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Unlock | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is theLAB free?

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

### Is Chroia free?

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

### Do theLAB or Chroia have ads?

Neither theLAB nor Chroia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, theLAB or Chroia?

theLAB ships an update every 2 days, and Chroia every 9 days. Most recently, theLAB was updated on October 6, 2026 and Chroia on October 5, 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.*