# element vs Filmic Legacy

The clearest difference is rating: element at 2.9 against Filmic Legacy's 1.4. element also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 12%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.1). Filmic Legacy's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 35 months) and ratings volume (475 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

element holds the better App Store score, 2.9 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Filmic Legacy has 475 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of element's written reviews are positive against 12% of Filmic Legacy's.

element ships an update every 35 months, Filmic Legacy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | element | Filmic Legacy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-vs-sample/id784416760/reviews)** | [1.4 (475 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmic-legacy/id6443816015/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **475** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 11.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 190 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 14.1 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tangent Wave Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/396651842) | [Bending Spoons Apps ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280299077) |

## What reviewers say

### element

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-vs-sample/id784416760)

Control your color grading software remotely from your iPad. This app offers a virtual version of physical control panels, ideal for on-set work, training, or expanding your existing setup. It communicates with your software via WiFi and supports multi-touch gestures.

**Highlights:** Remote color grading control, Virtual Element control panels, On-set grading ideal, Portable grading solution, Multi-touch support, WiFi communication

**In-app purchases:** none


### Filmic Legacy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmic-legacy/id6443816015)

This app offers advanced manual controls for video recording, enabling filmmakers to achieve professional cinematic quality. It provides features like LOG gamma curves for enhanced post-production flexibility and real-time cinematic looks. Designed for experienced users, it allows for precise control over focus, exposure, and zoom.

**Highlights:** Dual arc slider controls for manual focus and exposure, Live analytics suite (Zebras, False Color, Focus Peaking), Dolby Vision HDR support, ProRes support, Realtime film looks, Frame.io Camera to Cloud integration, Clean HDMI Out

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Glad to still have the original
- 📝 Prompt and professional support
- 👍 Classic V6 version available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Locked out of paid features
- 🤯 Bait and switch tactics
- 🤬 Greedy and underhanded move
- 📤 Lost access to purchased content

**Reported bugs**

- Legacy version won't launch
- Can't export videos in legacy
- Settings/presets not transferring

**Requested features**

- Refund for paid version
- Maintain legacy version with updates
- Offer one-time purchase option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is element free?

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

### Is Filmic Legacy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, element or Filmic Legacy?

element is rated higher. element averages 2.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Filmic Legacy averages 1.4 from 475 ratings.

### Do element or Filmic Legacy have ads?

Neither element nor Filmic Legacy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, element or Filmic Legacy?

element ships an update every 35 months, and Filmic Legacy every 3 weeks. Most recently, element was updated on September 12, 2026 and Filmic Legacy on September 25, 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.*