Lightmate vs Luminosys
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lightmate
This app functions as a light meter for photographers, offering a clear and intuitive interface. It supports aperture and shutter priority modes, with customizable EV scales and the ability to use both front and back cameras for measurements.
- Aperture priority mode
- Shutter priority mode
- Multiple EV scales
- Back and front camera support
- Tap-to-measure exposure
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Lightmate is a simple light meter app for photographers. The user interface is designed with clarity in mind. Features: • Aperture and shutter priority modes • Multiple EV scales (iOS Settings > Lightmate) • Back and front camera support Instructions: 1. Choose the ISO, Aperture (or Shutter) values according to your camera settings. 2. The priority changes automatically to Aperture (or Shutter) mode when you change the Aperture (or Shutter) value. 3. Tap anywhere on the camera's preview screen to measure and update the exposure values. You can switch the priority mode by just tapping on the Shutter or Aperture values. Settings: You can change the default EV scale individually for Aperture, Shutter Speed or ISO values. 1. Go to the general "iOS Settings" 2. Scroll down until you find "Lightmate" 3. Change to a different EV scale (full stops, 1/2 stops or 1/3 stops)
Luminosys
Accurately measure ambient light levels in Lux or Foot Candles using your phone's camera. This tool is ideal for photography, comparing light sources, or indoor gardening. It's designed for ease of use and provides precise readings.
- Measures light in Lux
- Measures light in Foot Candles (FC)
- Uses phone camera for accuracy
- Easy to use interface
- Suitable for photography
- Useful for indoor gardening
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Luminosys allows you to accurately measure the ambient light level in Lux or Foot Candles (FC). To do this, Luminosys uses your phone's camera in conjunction with a piece of paper to accurately measure the light level. It is very easy to use and is a great app for those looking for accurate light measurements for photography, comparing light sources, or indoor gardening.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Lightmate at none against Luminosys's shown. Lightmate also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 19 months) and ratings volume (79 vs 7). Luminosys's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.1). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Luminosys holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightmate has 79 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Lightmate's written reviews are positive against 75% of Luminosys's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Lightmate ships an update every 5 weeks, Luminosys every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightmate | Luminosys |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (79 ratings) | 4.4 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.0% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 79 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 19 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Luis Laugga | Melissa Zwick |
Customer experience
Lightmate
Luminosys
Bugs and requests
Lightmate
Reported bugs
5 issues- F stop disappeared
- Aperture reading disappeared
- Not working on iOS 11
- Link for camera association not working
- App requests to open association with camera
Requested features
20 requests- Add space between S, A, I
- Lock ISO values
- Add whole scene average reading
- Add tutorial/demo video for beginners
- Add dedicated screenshot button
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- Keep exposure circle on screen longer
- Add widget for quicker access
- Add option to control stop numbers
- Add exposure compensation setting
- Add shutter angle for video
- Add 1/50th shutter speed
- Add ability to lock ISO/Shutter/Aperture
- Add 1/3 stops
- Rotate to landscape mode
- Add exposure compensation by dragging exposure point
- Add 125 ISO
- Add intermediate ISO values (12, 32, 64, 80, 160)
- Add shutter speed 50 for 24 FPS video
- Add volume button for metering
- Add spot/weighted metering
Luminosys
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Lightmate
No in-app purchases
Luminosys
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Lightmate free?
Is Luminosys free?
Which has better reviews, Lightmate or Luminosys?
Do Lightmate or Luminosys have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightmate or Luminosys?
Other comparisons
