# Hardlight vs Agitate

The clearest difference is ads: Hardlight at none against Agitate's shown. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hardlight sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Agitate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hardlight against 5.0 for Agitate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Hardlight ships an update every 11 days, Agitate weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardlight | Agitate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardlight-effect-and-transition/id6784358298/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/agitate-film-dev-timer/id6796387774/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Anatoly Makaruk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812923328) | [Levin David Schwab](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896432297) |

## What reviewers say

### Hardlight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardlight-effect-and-transition/id6784358298)

Access a vast library of video editing assets, including overlays, textures, effects, and transitions. New content is added weekly, with at least one free asset per drop. A pro subscription unlocks unlimited access and a commercial-use license.

**Highlights:** Weekly asset drops, Overlays, textures, effects, transitions, Free asset included weekly, Pro subscription for unlimited access, Commercial-use license, Compatible with popular editing apps

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Pro | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Pro | $6.99 | per year |


### Agitate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/agitate-film-dev-timer/id6796387774)

This app provides a reliable timer for home film development, supporting black and white, C-41, and E-6 processes. It features a unique clock that records step completion, not just countdowns, ensuring accuracy even after interruptions. Designed for darkroom use with safelight mode and intuitive controls.

**Highlights:** Accurate timekeeping that records step completion, Safelight mode with red screen and low brightness, Full screen button for easy operation in the dark, Tap-based agitation tracking with optional sound, Precise timing for drain and mid-run adjustments, Detailed agitation schemes and temperature conversions, Extensive database of published film development recipes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Agitate Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardlight free?

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

### Is Agitate free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hardlight or Agitate?

Hardlight and Agitate are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Hardlight or Agitate have ads?

Agitate shows ads; Hardlight does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hardlight or Agitate?

Hardlight ships an update every 11 days, and Agitate weekly. Most recently, Hardlight was updated on October 31, 2026 and Agitate on November 8, 2026.

---

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