Comparison

ShutterCue vs Drone ND

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

Head to head
About

ShutterCue

Features
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Lightning-fast camera settings reference. Modern mirrorless cameras have hundreds of menu items. ShutterCue gives you a confident starting point instead: pick your camera and lens, choose what you're shooting and the light you're in, and get a ready-to-dial ISO, aperture, and shutter speed — plus the exact menu settings for the moment, in your camera's own words, and plain-language advice on why. No account. No internet required. Just fast, trustworthy answers in the field. WHAT YOU GET • A ready-to-dial exposure: ISO, aperture, and shutter, solved for your gear, scenario, and light. • The right menu settings: AF-area mode, subject detection, drive/release mode, and metering — named the way your Nikon or Sony menus name them, and reconciled to what YOUR body supports. • Plain-language advice: why these settings, and what to watch for (it'll tell you when ISO is pinned or the light is fading). • Two ways in: "Dial It In" (you pick the gear) or "Gear Me Up" (tell it the subject, it suggests the body, lens, light, and time of day from your kit). • Ask: a photography assistant you can type or talk to, grounded in your exact gear — ask it a question and it computes a real recommendation with the same engine as the Guide, it never guesses. • My Gear: add the cameras and lenses you own and everything filters to what's in your bag. • Profiles: save your favorite setups for one-tap recall. • Tap any value to fine-tune it, and tap "Why these settings?" to learn the reasoning. • Share a recommendation as text — perfect for notes, a shoot plan, or helping a friend. 20 SCENARIOS Portrait, street, events & low light, parades & festivals, concerts, weddings, kids & pets, landscape, wildlife, macro, waterfalls, birds in flight, aviation, sports, panning & motorsports, astrophotography, fireworks, the moon, night cityscape, and aurora — each with its own exposure approach (freeze the action, hold a tripod, or chase the 500-rule for stars) baked in. BUILT FOR NIKON Z AND SONY ALPHA ShutterCue covers 20 Nikon Z and Sony E bodies — from the Z5 and Z8 to the a7 III, a7 IV, a7C II, a6400, a6700 and ZV-E10 II — and 71 lenses: NIKKOR Z and FTZ-adapted F-mount glass, Sony FE and E, plus Sigma, Tamron, and Viltrox. It understands variable-aperture zooms, the crop factor on APS-C bodies, in-body and lens stabilization, and how AF features differ across bodies and generations. HOW IT WORKS ShutterCue blends curated, photographer-authored knowledge with real exposure math (the APEX exposure triangle, the reciprocal hand-shake rule, and the 500-rule for stars). Same gear + scenario + light always gives the same answer. These are expert starting points, not a replacement for your light meter. Check your histogram — ShutterCue gets you in the ballpark fast so you can spend your attention on the photograph. Offline-first. Private by design — your gear and profiles stay on your device.

About

Drone ND

Features
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Drone ND is the only drone companion that covers your whole workflow — from checking the weather to nailing the shot. Stop juggling three apps for filters, weather, and timing. Drone ND knows your drone, knows your light, and helps you fly safely with the perfect exposure every time. HOW IT WORKS • ND filter calculator with drone-specific profiles (DJI Mini, Mavic, Air, Inspire, and more) — no more manually looking up specs • Automatic 180° shutter rule calculation for silky-smooth drone video • Weather & fly-check: wind, visibility, and conditions at a glance before you take off • Night Mode for low-light and night shoots — unique in this category • Save presets for your most common setups and recall them in seconds • Timer function for long exposure and timelapse shots WHY DRONE ND? • Everything in one app: calculator, weather, and timer replace three separate tools • Drone-specific: profiles for the most popular DJI and other models • Built for every level: from hobby pilot to semi-pro aerial videographer • Offline-first where it counts — fast workflow right on set • Fair pricing: one-time purchase, no subscription WHO IS DRONE ND FOR? • Hobby pilots who want to know the right filter strength in seconds • Content creators who want professional-looking video without blown-out highlights • Semi-pro videographers who need a fast, reliable workflow on set Drone ND — know your drone, know your light, fly safe.

Screenshots

ShutterCue4 screens
Drone ND4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShutterCue at none against Drone ND's 1. ShutterCue also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Drone ND sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ShutterCue asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShutterCue ships an update daily, Drone ND every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
ShutterCue versus Drone ND: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShutterCueDrone ND
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDigital Jackalope, LLCNancy Bullmann

In-app purchases

None

ShutterCue

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Drone ND

One-time1
  • ND Drone Premium$3.99

Questions

Is ShutterCue free?
ShutterCue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drone ND free?
Drone ND is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShutterCue or Drone ND have ads?
Drone ND shows ads; ShutterCue does not.
Which is updated more often, ShutterCue or Drone ND?
ShutterCue ships an update daily, and Drone ND every 2 months. Most recently, ShutterCue was updated on October 28, 2026 and Drone ND on October 18, 2026.

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