# Halide Mark III vs Camera M

The clearest difference is price: Halide Mark III at Free against Camera M's $7.99. Halide Mark III also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 1.4K) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks). Camera M's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (68% vs 41%). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Halide Mark III is free to download; Camera M costs $7.99 up front. Halide Mark III sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Camera M asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Halide Mark III against 4.5 for Camera M. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Halide Mark III has 13K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Halide Mark III's written reviews are positive against 68% of Camera M's.

Halide Mark III ships an update every 11 days, Camera M every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Halide Mark III | Camera M |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $7.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halide-mark-iii-pro-camera/id885697368/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-m-pro-manual-camera/id1239098425/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **68.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #161 | **#38** |
| Size | 84 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lux Optics Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/885697371) | [bxb](https://appshunter.io/developer/312145555) |

## What reviewers say

### Halide Mark III

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halide-mark-iii-pro-camera/id885697368)

**Currently charting:** #161 Top Grossing · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This professional camera app offers advanced manual controls and powerful tools for deliberate photography. Capture stunning RAW images, utilize Neural Macro for close-ups on any iPhone, and access features like focus peaking and histograms. Learn photography with included lessons and customize your shooting experience.

**Highlights:** Manual exposure and focus controls, Neural Macro for close-up shots, 14-bit RAW and ProRAW capture, Exposure tools: histograms, waveform, zebras, Focus peaking and loupe, Gesture-based interface, Included photography lessons

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Camera, Editor, and Lessons | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Camera, Editor, and Lessons | $19.99 | per year |
| One Time Purchase | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful manual controls
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 🔍 Excellent RAW capture and editing
- 📷 Macro and depth features
- 🎨 Great image quality and color

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Depth/portrait mode limitations
- 🕰️ Slow performance on older devices
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Lack of free trial or demo

**Reported bugs**

- Photos not saving properly
- Zoom functionality issues
- Landscape mode UI problems

**Requested features**

- Shutter speed adjustment
- Live depth/bokeh preview
- Custom white balance
- Time-lapse and video recording
- Ability to save settings/presets


### Camera M

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camera-m-pro-manual-camera/id1239098425)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This app offers professional manual camera controls for capturing high-quality photos, akin to a DSLR. It provides advanced features like RAW and ProRAW support, precise manual adjustments for focus, exposure, and white balance, and various shooting modes for creative control.

**Highlights:** Fluid gesture-based manual controls, Zero-process RAW and ProRAW support, Max Image Processing for best quality, Manual focus, exposure, and white balance, Multiple shooting modes (Burst, Timer, Bracket), Focus Peaking and 4x magnifier, Live RGB and luminance histograms

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive app
- 💡 Excellent manual camera controls
- 🎨 Produces high-quality images
- 🔒 No data collection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Lack of Russian language support
- 🔒 No option to select front-facing camera
- 🔒 Limited shutter speed options

**Reported bugs**

- Viewfinder freezes and app crashes
- RAW images come out blurry
- Depth mode has issues with focus and bokeh
- Settings buttons become unresponsive
- Shutter speed resets after each shot

**Requested features**

- Add video capture mode
- Implement longer shutter speed options
- Include focus bracketing and stacking
- Add color grading tools for RAW images
- Provide more aspect ratio options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Halide Mark III free?

Halide Mark III is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Camera M free?

Camera M costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Halide Mark III or Camera M?

Camera M is rated higher. Halide Mark III averages 4.4 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Camera M averages 4.5 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Halide Mark III or Camera M have ads?

Neither Halide Mark III nor Camera M shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Halide Mark III or Camera M?

Halide Mark III ships an update every 11 days, and Camera M every 3 weeks. Most recently, Halide Mark III was updated on September 24, 2026 and Camera M on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Halide Mark III or Camera M?

Halide Mark III currently peaks at #161 in the App Store charts, and Camera M at #38. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*