# Lightmate vs Luxmeter

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lightmate | Luxmeter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightmate/id791590935/reviews) | **[4.4 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luxmeter-lux-light-meter/id6746211051/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 79 | **251** |
| Positive reviews | **83.0% of reviews** | 7.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luis Laugga](https://appshunter.io/developer/791590938) | [STOMBERG s.r.o](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703467445) |

## What reviewers say

### Lightmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightmate/id791590935)

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.

**Highlights:** Aperture priority mode, Shutter priority mode, Multiple EV scales, Back and front camera support, Tap-to-measure exposure

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Fast and accurate metering
- 💰 Free to use, no ads
- ✨ Minimalist and clean design
- 📸 Great for film photography

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤏 Small text size
- ❓ Confusing for beginners
- ⚠️ Values change too quickly
- 🎛️ Clumsy to use
- 🚫 No whole scene average reading

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add space between S, A, I
- Lock ISO values
- Add whole scene average reading
- Add tutorial/demo video for beginners
- Add dedicated screenshot button


### Luxmeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luxmeter-lux-light-meter/id6746211051)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Luxmeter Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Luxmeter Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Luxmeter Pro | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Luxmeter Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Luxmeter Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Luxmeter Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Luxmeter Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lightmate free?

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

### Is Luxmeter free?

Luxmeter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lightmate or Luxmeter?

Luxmeter is rated higher. Lightmate averages 4.1 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while Luxmeter averages 4.4 from 251 ratings.

### Do Lightmate or Luxmeter have ads?

Luxmeter shows ads; Lightmate does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lightmate or Luxmeter?

Lightmate ships an update every 5 weeks, and Luxmeter every 5 days. Most recently, Lightmate was updated on October 6, 2026 and Luxmeter on October 20, 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.*