Comparison

ThunderCam vs Lightning Cache

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

Head to head
About

ThunderCam

Features
Read full description

Point your iPhone at the storm — ThunderCam does the rest. The camera analyses every frame in real time and saves a photo series the instant lightning flashes. No timing, no reflexes, no luck — mount the phone, press start, and watch the sky. WHY THUNDERCAM • Real-time flash detection at up to 120 fps • A photo series around every strike — frames before and after the flash, so the bolt is on the picture, not just the glow • Storm mode: exposure adapts to day and night automatically, or set ISO and shutter manually • Tinder-style triage: swipe through the catches — right to keep, left to drop; keepers land in your photo library • Motion filter: nothing is saved while you're still adjusting the phone • Catch alert: a sound and a tap the moment a strike is saved • Screen dim mode for long night sessions YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS ThunderCam is fully offline. No account, no sign-up, no analytics, no ads — the App Store privacy label says "Data Not Collected" because there is nothing to collect. Photos go straight to your own photo library. FREE & PREMIUM The free version is fully usable: full-quality detection at up to 120 fps, 30 photo series a day, Auto mode, a small watermark on saved photos. A single one-time purchase (no subscription) unlocks Premium forever: no watermark, Manual mode, unlimited series. Lightning is dangerous — always shoot from a safe, sheltered location.

About

Lightning Cache

Features
Read full description

Lighting Cache helps you capture moments that are over before you can react. Instead of only taking a photo after you press the shutter, Lighting Cache continuously maintains a short rolling cache of recent camera frames. When lightning strikes or another fast event happens, simply tap Capture, scrub back through the previous few seconds, and save the exact frame you want. Perfect for lightning, storms, fast action, wildlife, and other unpredictable moments. KEY FEATURES • Rolling Frame Cache Continuously keeps the most recent camera frames ready so you can capture something that happened just before you pressed the button. • Frame-by-Frame Review Scrub through your cached frames and find the exact moment you want to save. • Adjustable Cache Duration Choose how many seconds of recent whatfootage Lighting Cache keeps available. • Adjustable Cache Frame Rate Balance smooth frame selection with performance by choosing the frame rate that works best for your device. • Photo Quality Controls Choose between multiple quality levels to balance image detail and performance. • Auto & Manual Focus Use automatic focusing for everyday shooting or switch to manual focus when photographing distant lightning, storms, or difficult low-light scenes. • Exposure Controls Darken or brighten the camera view to better handle bright lightning flashes and nighttime photography. • Multiple Camera Support Switch between available iPhone cameras supported by your device. • Tap to Focus Quickly focus on the part of the scene that matters. • Private and On-Device Your rolling camera cache stays on your device. Frames are temporary unless you choose to save a photo. CAPTURE THE MOMENT AFTER IT HAPPENS Lightning can appear and disappear in a fraction of a second. By the time you see it and press the shutter, the moment is usually gone. Lighting Cache changes that workflow. Keep the camera pointed at the scene and let the app continuously maintain a short history of recent frames. When something happens, press Capture and go back through the cache to find it. Whether you're watching a thunderstorm, waiting for wildlife, or trying to capture another unpredictable event, Lighting Cache gives you a second chance at the shot you almost missed.

Screenshots

ThunderCam4 screens
Lightning Cache3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lightning Cache at none against ThunderCam's 1. On price, ads, 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. ThunderCam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lightning Cache asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
ThunderCam versus Lightning Cache: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThunderCamLightning Cache
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSARGAS AGENCY OUDavid Burke

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ThunderCam

One-time1
  • ThunderCam Premium$4.99
None

Lightning Cache

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ThunderCam free?
ThunderCam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning Cache free?
Lightning Cache is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ThunderCam or Lightning Cache have ads?
Neither ThunderCam nor Lightning Cache shows ads.

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