Comparison

Light Meter vs Lucent

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

Head to head
About

Light Meter

Features
Read full description

Point your camera at a spot and instantly find out if it is bright enough. Light Meter reads the light level (lux) and gives you a one-second verdict β€” enough / a bit dim / too little β€” so you get the answer even if the lux number means nothing to you. β–  Great for - Finding the right spot so your houseplants get enough light - Checking that your desk or study area is not too dim - Seeing if a bedroom is dark enough for a good night's sleep - Judging whether there is enough light to shoot a photo β–  Features - Camera reading with a big judgment icon and a one-line verdict - 5 use-case presets: plants / reading & study / bedroom / desk work / photo - The bedroom preset is reversed β€” darker is better, and it warns when too bright - Open, aim, get the answer. One screen, one purpose, no manual - Fully on-device. No AI, no server upload, images are never saved or sent β–  Free / Remove ads (one-time purchase) All presets and verdicts are free to use, with a small banner ad. A one-time "Remove ads" purchase hides every ad. It is not a subscription. Note: readings are camera-based estimates meant as a rough guide and do not match a calibrated lux meter. This app does not guarantee any medical, health or plant-growth effect, and is not a substitute for occupational, school or other regulated illuminance measurement (which requires a JIS C 1609 / standards-compliant meter).

About

Lucent

Features
Read full description

Check the light where you read, then make time for a break. Lucent uses your iPhone rear camera's exposure data to estimate ambient light. See an estimated lux value, a written lighting assessment, and a suggested break interval. It is not a calibrated light meter. CHECK YOUR READING LIGHT Point the rear camera toward your reading area, keep the lens clear, and hold steady. Numbers, written assessments, and a scale help you compare lighting conditions. Fresh ambient readings are taken while Live is visible or when you request a current measurement for a mark. The Timer tab and background timer do not continuously measure light. FOCUS AND BREAKS YOU CONTROL Choose a baseline from 10 to 30 minutes. Suggestions use the latest valid reading and your selected model. Start a focus session, pause or resume, take an early break, or end the whole session. Restart only the current interval without deleting existing records. LOCK SCREEN AND DYNAMIC ISLAND On supported devices, Live Activities show your current phase and remaining time. Availability follows system Live Activity settings. A running countdown does not mean the camera is sampling in the background. OPTIONAL BREAK SOUNDS Enable gentle cues for break start and completion in Settings. Sounds are off by default and follow system silent and notification settings. COMPARE SCREEN AND SURROUNDINGS Try a relative screen-to-environment brightness check, not an absolute screen-brightness measurement in nits. If capture or detection fails, follow the guidance to adjust the angle, distance, or surroundings. LOCAL RECORDS AND CSV Review foreground samples, add a scene label to a current valid reading, and export CSV. Gaps remain gaps; Lucent does not invent readings. Saving a mark requires a fresh reading from that attempt. FOCUS FILTERS A configured system Focus filter can start or pause the timer. It does not enable background camera measurement. Baseline timing remains available without camera access. Reminders require notification permission and follow system Focus and notification settings. Camera frames are processed on your device without taking or saving photos or video. No account, ads, or analytics SDK. Measurements and records stay on your device. Feedback emails and support links open only at your request through system mail or browser services. Light readings and screen comparisons are estimates, not professional measurements. Break suggestions come from Lucent's own model, inspired by 20-20-20, not a medical standard or treatment recommendation.

Screenshots

Light Meter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Light Meter at Free against Lucent's $0.99. Light Meter also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.2). Lucent's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Light Meter is free to download; Lucent costs $0.99 up front. Light Meter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lucent asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, Lucent every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Light Meter versus Lucent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight MeterLucent
PriceFree β€” better$0.99
Update frequencyFortnightly β€” betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better26.2
Further details β€” not scored
Size35 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerhiroki kawamura志杰 εΌ 

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Light Meter

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$12.49
None

Lucent

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Light Meter free?
Light Meter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lucent free?
Lucent costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Light Meter or Lucent have ads?
Light Meter shows ads; Lucent does not.
Which is updated more often, Light Meter or Lucent?
Light Meter ships an update fortnightly, and Lucent every 4 weeks. Most recently, Light Meter was updated on October 24, 2026 and Lucent on October 24, 2026.

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