# Darkroom Formulas vs Lightme

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightme at 75% against Darkroom Formulas's 29%. Lightme also leads on price (Free vs $5.99) and rating (4.8 vs 2.5). Darkroom Formulas's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and chart position (#176 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Lightme is free to download; Darkroom Formulas costs $5.99 up front. Lightme sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Darkroom Formulas asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 103 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Darkroom Formulas's written reviews are positive against 75% of Lightme's.

Darkroom Formulas ships an update every 14 months, Lightme every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Darkroom Formulas | Lightme |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkroom-formulas/id807461207/reviews) | **[4.8 (103 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-logbook/id1544518308/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **103** |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#176** | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Freestyle Photo & Imaging](https://appshunter.io/developer/1786429988) | [Giuseppe Bertolini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509033789) |

## What reviewers say

### Darkroom Formulas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkroom-formulas/id807461207)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app provides a digital cookbook of over 160 chemical formulas for darkroom photography. It features a volume mixer for easy proportional adjustments and allows users to save, edit, and share their own recipes. Access all data offline, making it a convenient tool for photographers.

**Highlights:** 160+ chemical formulas, Custom formula editing, Proportional volume mixer, Offline access, Formula export and backup, Supports multiple units

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Lightme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightme-logbook/id1544518308)

This app helps analog photographers meticulously track their film rolls, shots, and development processes. It allows for detailed logging of gear and consumables, with features for data visualization and export. Users can also manage film holders and add post-development notes with photos of final results.

**Highlights:** Log film rolls, shots, and development, Track gear and consumables, Data visualization with graphs/histograms, Data export in JSON/CSV formats, Manage large format film holders, Post-development notes with photos

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Cappuccino | $2.99 | per month |
| Focaccia Barese | $12.99 | per year |
| Spaghetti Carbonara | $29.99 | per year |
| Homemade Pizza party | $49.99 | per year |
| A smile :) | Free | one-time |
| Box of Prosecco | $59.99 | one-time |
| Fuel for my '90s camper | $119.99 | one-time |
| Terme for two | $239.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Darkroom Formulas free?

Darkroom Formulas costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lightme free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Darkroom Formulas or Lightme?

Lightme is rated higher. Darkroom Formulas averages 2.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Lightme averages 4.8 from 103 ratings.

### Do Darkroom Formulas or Lightme have ads?

Neither Darkroom Formulas nor Lightme shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Darkroom Formulas or Lightme?

Darkroom Formulas ships an update every 14 months, and Lightme every 2 weeks. Most recently, Darkroom Formulas was updated on October 7, 2026 and Lightme on October 21, 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.*