LAB* vs Chroma 98
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
LAB*
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# LAB* ā App Store Listing --- ## App Name LAB* RAW Photo Editor & Darkroom LAB* is a professional RAW photo editor for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Mac ā built for photographers who care about quality, privacy, and speed, without subscriptions or paywalls. Edit RAW, ProRAW, and standard photos directly from your camera roll, SD card, USB drive, or cloud storage. Every edit happens entirely on your device. Nothing is ever uploaded, tracked, or shared. **RUNS ON ALL YOUR APPLE DEVICES** ⢠iPhone ā edit on the go ⢠iPad ā full-screen editing with touch precision ⢠Mac with M1, M2, M3, or M4 chip ā same app, same power, on your desktop **POWERFUL EDITING TOOLS** ⢠Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, Clarity ⢠Highlights & Shadows with split toning ā push warm or cool color into your tones independently ⢠Whites, Blacks, Saturation, Vibrance, Warmth, Tint ⢠Bloom, Halation, Fade, Grain, Vignette, Sharpness, Noise Reduction ⢠Master tone curve + per-channel RGB curves ⢠HSL color grading ā adjust Hue, Saturation, and Luminance for 8 individual color ranges (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple, Magenta) **MASKING & LOCAL ADJUSTMENTS** ⢠Radial masks ā circular spotlight adjustments ⢠Linear masks ā graduated filter for skies and horizons ⢠Luminance masks ā target shadows, midtones, or highlights ⢠Color masks ā select and adjust specific colors ⢠Subject & Background masks ā AI-powered person detection ⢠Depth masks ā near/far selection using Portrait mode depth data ⢠Stack multiple masks on one photo **CROP & GEOMETRY** ⢠Free-form crop with all 4 corner handles ⢠Fixed aspect ratios: 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 ⢠Straighten with auto-zoom (no black corners ever) ⢠Rotate 90° left or right ⢠Vertical and horizontal keystone correction **LOOKS & COMMUNITY PRESETS** ⢠Built-in looks: Vivid, Classic Warm, Cool Blue, B&W, Vintage Fade, Moody ⢠Save your own custom presets ⢠Share presets as .labpreset files via AirDrop or iMessage ⢠Import presets from friends ā tap to install instantly **WORKFLOW** ⢠Open RAW files directly from SD cards and USB drives ā no import needed ⢠Before/after split view with draggable divider ⢠Hold to compare original ⢠Pinch to zoom and pan ⢠Full undo/redo history ⢠Batch edit ā apply a preset to multiple photos at once ⢠Export as HEIC or JPEG with quality and resize controls ⢠Share directly via AirDrop, iMessage, Instagram, and more **100% PRIVATE** No account required. No analytics. No ads. No data collected ā on any device. Everything stays on your device, always. Built with love for photographers, by a photographer. --- ## Category Primary: Photo & Video Secondary: Utilities ## Age Rating 4+ ## Pricing Free ## Privacy Policy URL https://spurious-delphinium-b23.notion.site/LAB-Privacy-Policy-3be54f36504a8096ba69e56523206c30 ## What's New (first release) Welcome to LAB* ā a free, privacy-first RAW photo editor for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Mac. Edit RAW files straight from your SD card, use professional tools including masks, curves, and HSL, then share your presets with the community.
Chroma 98
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Chroma 98 brings the timeless beauty, soul, and aesthetic of 90s 35mm analog film photography directly to your iPhone. Transform your digital shots into authentic analog masterworks with carefully calibrated film emulations, optical organic grain, halation bleed, vintage light leaks, and privacy-first on-device AI retouching. KEY FEATURES: ā ICONIC 35MM FILM EMULATIONS Experience true-to-life film emulations inspired by classic analog film tones: warm portrait palettes, rich daylight slide film colors, atmospheric tungsten night aesthetics, deep monochrome contrasts, instant prints, and nostalgic disposable camera vibes. ā PROFESSIONAL ANALOG FX SUITE ⢠Organic Grain: Multi-scale silver halide crystal emulation. ⢠Halation & Glow: Warm optical edge bloom characteristic of classic film stocks. ⢠Vintage Light Leaks: Authentic optical flaring and nostalgic light flares. ⢠Star Filter & Double Exposure: Expand your creative vision. ⢠35mm Film Borders & Customizable Date Stamps. ā 100% ON-DEVICE AI RETOUCH (PRIVACY-FIRST) ⢠Smart Blemish & Object Removal (AI Inpainting). ⢠Natural Skin Smoothing with texture retention. ⢠Zero Cloud Uploads: All AI and photo processing runs 100% locally on your device using Apple Neural Engine & Metal GPU. ā UNLIMITED LAYERED EDITING & CUSTOM .C98 RECIPES Stack multiple filters, fine-tune individual adjustments, save your signature look as a .c98 recipe, and back up your presets seamlessly. -------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIPTION TERMS (Apple Auto-Renewable Subscriptions): ⢠Chroma98 offers a free standard tier along with Pro subscription options (Annual with 7-Day Free Trial, Monthly, and Lifetime Founder). ⢠Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. ⢠Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. ⢠Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. ⢠You can manage and cancel your subscriptions anytime in your iOS Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. ⢠Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when purchasing a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/chroma98/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support & Contact: https://sites.google.com/view/chroma98/support
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LAB* at none against Chroma 98's 4. Chroma 98's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Chroma 98 sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. LAB* asks for nothing beyond the download.
LAB* ships an update every 2 weeks, Chroma 98 every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.
| Parameter | LAB* | Chroma 98 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days ā better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No ā better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac ā better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | 16.0 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 354 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Schilliro Massimiliano | Yavuz Erol |
In-app purchases
LAB*
No in-app purchases
Chroma 98
- Chroma98 Pro (Weekly)$1.997 Days
- Chroma98 Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Chroma98 Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Founder Lifetime Access$39.99









