Comparison

Mote vs B&W Camera

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

Head to head
About

Mote

This app uses live hand tracking to apply dynamic visual effects to your videos. Create unique content with frame filters that react to your hand movements and music beats. New effects are added weekly, with options for both free and premium users.

Highlights
  • Live hand tracking camera
  • Dynamic frame filters
  • Music beat synchronization
  • Automatic 4-cut Frame Strip generation
  • Weekly new effect drops
  • On-device processing for privacy
Features
Read full description

Mote is a live hand tracking camera. Make an L with each hand and only the space between your fingers changes: Invert, Rainbow, Glitch, Comic, Pop or Pixel, switching on the beat while you record. HAND FRAME • Hold up two L's with a gap between them and the frame opens • Six looks inside the frame, switching at 90, 120 or 150 BPM • Tap the screen to hold the look you like • Tilt your hands and the frame tilts with them EVERY TAKE, TWO RESULTS • A clip ready for your feed and Stories • An automatic 4-cut Frame Strip • Save to Photos in one tap A NEW DROP EVERY FRIDAY • A new trending hand effect lands every Friday • Record it that week and it stays in your collection • Past drops include Bubble, Lightning and Stars FREE AND PRO • Free: this week's drop and every drop you caught, 15-second takes with a small watermark • Mote Pro: every drop including missed ones, 60-second takes, no watermark PRIVATE BY DESIGN Hand tracking runs on your device. Camera frames are not uploaded, and you never need an account. ABOUT MOTE PRO Mote Pro is optional. It is available as a weekly subscription (with a 3-day free trial when you are eligible), an annual subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase, or when the free trial ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; the renewal is charged within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Restore previous purchases anytime in the app. Privacy Policy: https://www.secondearth.io/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.secondearth.io/terms

About

B&W Camera

Capture stunning black and white photos and videos directly in monochrome. Offers various shooting modes like time-lapse and cinematic, with live preview and advanced camera controls. Shoot in up to 4K resolution and 48MP photos.

Highlights
  • Live black & white camera preview
  • Direct monochrome photo & video capture
  • Time-Lapse video creation
  • Cinematic shooting mode with focus tracking
  • Up to 48MP monochrome photography
  • 4K video recording at 60 FPS (Pro version)
Features
Read full description

B&W Camera is a dedicated black & white camera for creators, filmmakers, photographers, and anyone who loves the timeless look of monochrome. See the world in black & white before you shoot. Compose directly in monochrome and capture photos and videos without applying filters afterwards. FOUR WAYS TO SHOOT • Time-Lapse — create dramatic monochrome time-lapse videos • Video — record black & white video in up to 4K at 60 FPS • Photo — capture monochrome photos in 12MP, 24MP or full-resolution 48MP on supported iPhones • Cinematic — shoot 4K 30 FPS monochrome video with intelligent subject focus tracking CAMERA FEATURES • Live black & white camera preview • Direct black & white photo and video capture • 1080p and 4K video recording • 30 FPS and 60 FPS recording • Up to 48MP monochrome photography on supported iPhones • Time-Lapse recording • Cinematic shooting mode • Intelligent subject focus tracking in Cinematic mode • Front and rear camera support • Front camera zoom • Precise zoom controls • Camera Control support on compatible iPhones • Video stabilization • Portrait and landscape recording • Torch support • Photos and videos saved directly to your Photos library MADE FOR CREATORS B&W Camera is designed to feel like a real camera rather than a filter editor. Frame your shot, choose your shooting mode, control your zoom and see the monochrome image while you're shooting. From 48MP still photography to 4K 60 FPS video, Time-Lapse and Cinematic shooting, everything is built around one idea: shoot in black & white from the start. FREE TO SHOOT Record in 1080p at 30 FPS for free. B&W Camera Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks 4K recording and 60 FPS. No subscription required. See differently. Shoot in black & white.

Screenshots

Mote4 screens
B&W Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: B&W Camera at 4.5 against Mote's 3.0. Mote's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Mote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and B&W Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

B&W Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mote ships an update weekly, B&W Camera every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Mote versus B&W Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMoteB&W Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSecondEarth AI, Inc.Michal Kulisek

Customer experience

Mote

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

B&W Camera

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Mote

Subscriptions2
  • Mote Pro3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Mote Pro (Annual)$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Mote Pro Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

B&W Camera

One-time1
  • BWCamera Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Mote free?
Mote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is B&W Camera free?
B&W Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mote or B&W Camera?
B&W Camera is rated higher. Mote averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while B&W Camera averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Mote or B&W Camera have ads?
Neither Mote nor B&W Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mote or B&W Camera?
Mote ships an update weekly, and B&W Camera every 4 days. Most recently, Mote was updated on November 6, 2026 and B&W Camera on October 31, 2026.

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