# element vs Cadrage Director's Viewfinder

The clearest difference is price: element at Free against Cadrage Director's Viewfinder's $19.99. element also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.6). Cadrage Director's Viewfinder's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 2.9) and review sentiment (91% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

element is free to download; Cadrage Director's Viewfinder costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cadrage Director's Viewfinder holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cadrage Director's Viewfinder has 364 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 91% of Cadrage Director's Viewfinder's.

element ships an update every 35 months, Cadrage Director's Viewfinder monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | element | Cadrage Director's Viewfinder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Rating | [2.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-vs-sample/id784416760/reviews) | **[4.7 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cadrage-directors-viewfinder/id793232740/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **364** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **90.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#22** |
| Size | 2 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tangent Wave Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/396651842) | [Cadrage GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/793232743) |

## 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


### Cadrage Director's Viewfinder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cadrage-directors-viewfinder/id793232740)

**Currently charting:** #22 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app provides precise framing previews for a vast array of professional camera and lens combinations. It helps filmmakers and photographers visualize shots, manage projects, and communicate their vision effectively during production.

**Highlights:** Accurate camera and lens previews, Custom frameline creation, Photo and video recording, Built-in gallery and project manager, PDF shotlist generation, Manual exposure, focus, and white balance control, 3-way color correction

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful app for filmmakers
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Comprehensive camera and lens options
- 🚀 Efficient for location scouting and pre-production
- 👍 Saves time and hassle

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs or glitches
- 💡 Desire for more customization options
- 💡 Lack of portrait mode blur simulation
- 💡 Missing some camera/lens models
- 💡 Wish for more composition overlays

**Reported bugs**

- Camera shutter sometimes unresponsive
- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Metadata not always accurate (e.g. 'unknown camera')

**Requested features**

- Add manual camera and lens information input
- Implement vertical/portrait mode
- Add more composition overlays (e.g. golden ratio)
- Improve project/photo management and organization
- Implement camera settings controls (aperture, shutter, ISO)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is element free?

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

### Is Cadrage Director's Viewfinder free?

Cadrage Director's Viewfinder costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, element or Cadrage Director's Viewfinder?

Cadrage Director's Viewfinder is rated higher. element averages 2.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Cadrage Director's Viewfinder averages 4.7 from 364 ratings.

### Do element or Cadrage Director's Viewfinder have ads?

Neither element nor Cadrage Director's Viewfinder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, element or Cadrage Director's Viewfinder?

element ships an update every 35 months, and Cadrage Director's Viewfinder monthly. Most recently, element was updated on September 12, 2026 and Cadrage Director's Viewfinder on September 25, 2026.

---

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