Comparison

CameraBuddy vs CamMonitor

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

Head to head
About

CameraBuddy

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CameraBuddy turns two iPhones into a camera with a remote viewfinder and controls. Hand one iPhone to the person taking your photo, or place it on a tripod. On your own iPhone, you can see the shot live before it’s taken, check how you look, and ask the photographer to raise or lower the camera, zoom in, or zoom out. Don’t want to explain? Control the other iPhone’s camera yourself. Switch between lenses, adjust zoom, focus, and exposure, and take the photo when everything looks right. The photo appears instantly for a quick preview, then saves in full quality to both phones in the CameraBuddy album in Photos. No internet connection is required to take or transfer photos. Just keep Wi‑Fi enabled on both iPhones and they connect directly, without a router or server. Key features: • Live viewfinder on the second iPhone • Remote shutter release • Lens switching and smooth zoom • Focus and exposure controls • Grid, level, flash, and Live Photos • Instant preview and full-quality photo saving • Built-in gallery CameraBuddy is perfect for couples, group portraits, travel, tripod photography, and content creation, whenever you want to be in the shot while staying in control of the result. One active subscription covers both iPhones. Available plans, prices, and trial details are shown in the app before purchase. Terms of Use: https://camerabuddy.app/terms End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://camerabuddy.app/privacy

About

CamMonitor

This app transforms a second iPhone or iPad into a large live viewfinder for your primary device's camera. It enables creators to see themselves on a bigger screen for precise adjustments to pose, framing, and lighting during shoots. The system operates over a local network with low latency for seamless remote control and photo capture.

Highlights
  • Second device as live viewfinder
  • Low-latency HEVC stream
  • Remote shutter control
  • Reference overlay for pose matching
  • Full-quality photo saving
  • Real lens switching
  • Multiple monitors supported
Features
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See yourself the way the camera sees you. Camera Monitor turns a second iPhone or iPad into a big live viewfinder for your iPhone camera. Put your phone on a tripod, walk into the frame, and watch yourself on the big screen — adjust your pose, framing and lighting without running back and forth. HOW IT WORKS • Open the app on two devices on the same Wi-Fi (or nearby — direct peer-to-peer works too) • One device is the Camera, the other is the Monitor • The live picture appears on the monitor in a fraction of a second MADE FOR REAL SHOOTS • Low-latency HEVC stream over your local network — no internet, no servers, no accounts • Remote shutter: take photos right from the monitor • Reference overlay: lay a photo over the frame and match a pose or a composition — move, zoom, rotate and mirror it, adjust opacity and contrast, or reduce it to outlines. It never appears in your photos • Full-quality photos (HEIF up to 48 MP or Apple ProRAW where supported) saved to the camera device • Real lens switching: 0.5x / 1x / 2x / telephoto buttons, exactly like the stock Camera • Tap to focus, exposure adjustment, AE/AF lock • Rule-of-thirds grid on both screens • Several monitors can watch one camera at the same time • Optional connection password — the stream stays yours PRIVATE BY DESIGN Video never leaves your local network. Perfect for solo creators, vloggers, dance and fitness videos, interviews, product shots, family portraits — any time the person in front of the camera wants to see the frame.

Screenshots

CameraBuddy4 screens
CamMonitor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CamMonitor at none against CameraBuddy's 2. CamMonitor also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CameraBuddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. CamMonitor asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CameraBuddy ships an update every 3 weeks, CamMonitor every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
CameraBuddy versus CamMonitor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCameraBuddyCamMonitor
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniil BondarenkoAndrei Kozlovskii

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CameraBuddy

Subscriptions2
  • CameraBuddy Weekly$1.997 Days
  • CameraBuddy Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
None

CamMonitor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CameraBuddy free?
CameraBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CamMonitor free?
CamMonitor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CameraBuddy or CamMonitor have ads?
Neither CameraBuddy nor CamMonitor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CameraBuddy or CamMonitor?
CameraBuddy ships an update every 3 weeks, and CamMonitor every 2 days. Most recently, CameraBuddy was updated on October 25, 2026 and CamMonitor on October 25, 2026.

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