# NightCap Camera vs DWARFLAB

The clearest difference is price: DWARFLAB at Free against NightCap Camera's $2.99. DWARFLAB also leads on iOS requirement (15 vs 18.6). NightCap Camera's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (3K vs 141). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

DWARFLAB is free to download; NightCap Camera costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NightCap Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NightCap Camera has 3K ratings behind it against 141, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of NightCap Camera's written reviews are positive against 36% of DWARFLAB's.

NightCap Camera ships an update every 3 weeks, DWARFLAB every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NightCap Camera | DWARFLAB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightcap-camera-long-exposure/id754105884/reviews)** | [3.5 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dwarflab/id1667394131/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 141 |
| Positive reviews | **50.8% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804158489) | [Tinyphoton (Wuhan) Technology. Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470898020) |

## What reviewers say

### NightCap Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightcap-camera-long-exposure/id754105884)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Photo & Video, #90 Top Paid (US App Store)

Capture stunning low-light and night photos and videos with advanced features like long exposure, AI-powered controls, and specialized astrophotography modes. Achieve DSLR-like results and unlock your device's full potential in challenging lighting conditions.

**Highlights:** Low light and night photo/video capture, Long exposure and motion blur effects, Astrophotography modes (stars, aurora, ISS, meteors), AI camera control for automatic settings, Manual gesture-based adjustments, 4K time lapse recording, ISO Boost for brighter low-light shots

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for astrophotography
- 👍 Excellent night/low light photography
- 💡 Powerful manual controls
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Produces high-quality results

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes on newer devices
- 🐛 Focus issues on iPhone 7+
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 👎 Unintuitive user interface
- 👎 Disappointing results for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Photos not saving properly
- Meteor mode not working as expected
- Compatibility issues with iOS 8 and iPhone 6 Plus

**Requested features**

- RAW image support
- Bluetooth remote shutter control
- Ability to save settings
- More exposure options
- Improved timelapse features


### DWARFLAB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dwarflab/id1667394131)

This app connects wirelessly to a smart telescope, offering intuitive control for capturing stunning images of the night sky and dynamic terrestrial scenes. It features automatic tracking, in-app image processing, and panorama creation for both astrophotography and everyday use.

**Highlights:** Wireless telescope connection, In-built star atlas for astrophotography, Automatic celestial and motion tracking, In-app image stacking and post-processing, Gigapixel panorama creation, Time-lapse photography

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 High-quality astrophotography results
- 💰 Excellent value for price
- 🎯 Intuitive sky atlas and target selection
- 🔄 Frequent app updates and improvements
- ⚡ Responsive developer team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔌 Persistent WiFi connectivity issues
- ⏱️ Slow connection establishment (15-30 minutes)
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📉 Tracking frame drops (25% loss reported)
- 🔄 Connection drops after minutes

**Reported bugs**

- WiFi connection fails repeatedly or drops within seconds
- App crashes on iOS 18 and older iOS versions
- Account creation security verification fails
- Full-screen mode freezes with no escape option
- Autofocus produces inconsistent or blurry results

**Requested features**

- One-tap return to home and power off function
- Panorama/mosaic image merging capability
- Comet-aligned tracking mode
- Dew control for iOS (available on Android)
- iPad-optimized app version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NightCap Camera free?

NightCap Camera costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DWARFLAB free?

DWARFLAB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NightCap Camera or DWARFLAB?

NightCap Camera is rated higher. NightCap Camera averages 4.4 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while DWARFLAB averages 3.5 from 141 ratings.

### Do NightCap Camera or DWARFLAB have ads?

Neither NightCap Camera nor DWARFLAB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NightCap Camera or DWARFLAB?

NightCap Camera ships an update every 3 weeks, and DWARFLAB every 5 weeks. Most recently, NightCap Camera was updated on October 20, 2026 and DWARFLAB on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*