Comparison

Manual Exposure vs AutoND

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

Head to head
About

Manual Exposure

This app provides essential calculators for landscape photographers to determine exposure settings. It includes tools for ND filters, handheld shots, multiple exposures, star photography, and nightscapes, with features like a built-in timer and equipment organization.

Highlights
  • 8 landscape photography calculators
  • Built-in timer and notifications
  • Home screen widget and Apple Watch app
  • Equipment and item info organization
  • Teleconverter support
  • Advanced filter and stabilization settings
  • Dark theme support
Features
Read full description

Manual Exposure does the math for long exposures and night photography. Choose your equipment and settings, and the app gives you the exposure time. No tables or cheat sheets. Calculators • ND filters: exposure time with one or more ND filters. • Handheld shutter speed: the slowest shutter speed you can use without blur. • Multiple exposures: exposure compensation for multiple-exposure shots. • Still stars: the longest exposure before stars start to trail. • Star trails: exposure and number of frames for the trail length you want. • Nightscapes: exposure for landscapes in moonlight. • Moon: exposure for photographing the Moon itself. Features • Built-in timer. Start the countdown and close the app: you'll get a notification when time is up. Run several timers at once. • Home Screen widget and Apple Watch app show the running timer. • Equipment sets. Add cameras, lenses, filters and teleconverters from the catalog, and switch sets in any calculator. • Specs for every item in your sets. • Save your favorite calculators and reopen them with one tap. • ND filter compensation and lens stabilization settings. • Light and dark mode, support for larger text sizes. Full version The ND filters calculator is free. One payment unlocks all calculators, the equipment catalog, the widget and the Apple Watch app. No subscription. Privacy No account, no ads, no tracking. Your equipment and saved calculators stay on your device. We collect usage statistics to improve the app; they are not linked to you, and we don't build profiles. Support Found a bug, have a suggestion, or can't find your gear? Contact us from Support in the app. Terms of Use: https://handsmade.info/manualexposure/terms.html

About

AutoND

This utility helps landscape photographers determine the correct graduated neutral density filter for any scene. It uses your device's camera to measure dynamic range or allows manual input for filter density calculations.

Highlights
  • Automatic dynamic range measurement
  • Filter density calculation
  • Manual shutter speed input
  • Filter recommendation
  • Supports graduated neutral density filters
Features
Read full description

AutoND is a utility for landscape photographers that helps them to choose the right filter density. Graduated neutral density filters are an essential tool for every landscape photographer. They are used to reduce the dynamic range of the scene, so that the camera sensor is able to catch all the details. However, determining the right filter for a situation is a tedious task. This is where AutoND comes into play. AutoND is not a camera app. It uses the camera on your mobile device to automatically measure the dynamic range of the scene and give you a filter recommendation. It can also be used as an old fashioned filter density calculator where you put in two shutter speed values by hand. Want to know the optimal filter for your scene? The workflow is surprisingly simple: - Start the app - Point your mobile devices camera to the brightest part of the scene and press the button - Then point it to the darkest part of the scene and press the button again - Now you automatically get a filter recommendation!

Screenshots

Manual Exposure4 screens
AutoND4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AutoND at none against Manual Exposure's 3. AutoND also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 42%) and device support (4 vs 2). Manual Exposure's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price 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. Manual Exposure sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. AutoND asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Manual Exposure ships an update every 2 months, AutoND every 9 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Manual Exposure versus AutoND: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterManual ExposureAutoND
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.4 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.3% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGeorge KoultouridisStefan Engel

Customer experience

Manual Exposure

Written reviews26 reviews
Positive42.3%
Neutral15.4%
Negative42.3%

AutoND

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Manual Exposure

Subscriptions2
  • monthly14 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • yearly1 Month trial$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Full version$5.99
None

AutoND

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Manual Exposure free?
Manual Exposure is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AutoND free?
AutoND is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Manual Exposure or AutoND have ads?
Neither Manual Exposure nor AutoND shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Manual Exposure or AutoND?
Manual Exposure ships an update every 2 months, and AutoND every 9 months. Most recently, Manual Exposure was updated on November 1, 2026 and AutoND on November 1, 2026.

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