Lightmate vs Luxmeter
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)
Luxmeter
This app measures light intensity in lux and provides real-time exposure suggestions for photography. It offers customizable settings for shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, with options for both front and back cameras. It's designed for personal use to optimize lighting and capture better photos.
- Light intensity measurement (lux, foot-candles)
- Real-time color temperature readings
- Exposure suggestions
- Manual shutter speed, aperture, ISO control
- Front and back camera support
- Customizable settings
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LuxMeter is a 2-in-1 light intensity (lux) and exposure meter with customizable settings. Whether you want to capture the perfect photo or optimize lighting in any space, LuxMeter provides good-quality readings right on your phone. Key Features: - Real-time color temperature readings - Light intensity measurements in lux and foot-candles - Tracking of average and maximum light levels - Real-time suggestions for optimal exposure settings - Manual adjustment and locking of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO - Intuitive and customizable controls - For front and back cam - Customizable settings for shutter speed, ISO, aperture - Preview and adjust diaphragm settings before shooting Please note, that the LuxMeter app is not a replacement for a professional lux meter and should be used for personal needs only. Terms of Use - https://luxmeter-landing.vercel.app/privacy Privacy Policy - https://luxmeter-landing.vercel.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightmate at 83% against Luxmeter's 8%. Lightmate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). Luxmeter's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks) and rating (4.4 vs 4.1). On price 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. Luxmeter sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Lightmate asks for nothing beyond the download.
Luxmeter holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 79 and 251 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Lightmate's written reviews are positive against 8% of Luxmeter'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, Luxmeter every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightmate | Luxmeter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (79 ratings) | 4.4 (251 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.0% of reviews — better | 7.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 79 | 251 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Luis Laugga | STOMBERG s.r.o |
Customer experience
Lightmate
Luxmeter
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
Luxmeter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Lightmate
No in-app purchases
Luxmeter
- Luxmeter Pro7 Days trial$5.997 Days
- Luxmeter Pro$5.997 Days
- Luxmeter Pro3 Days trial$8.997 Days
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- Luxmeter Pro7 Days trial$9.997 Days
- Luxmeter Pro3 Days trial$9.997 Days
- Luxmeter Pro$9.997 Days
- Luxmeter Pro$29.991 Year
Questions
Is Lightmate free?
Is Luxmeter free?
Which has better reviews, Lightmate or Luxmeter?
Do Lightmate or Luxmeter have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightmate or Luxmeter?
Other comparisons
