Comparison

Matter vs AR Lightning

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Matter

Enhance your photos by seamlessly integrating 3D objects and applying various visual styles. Adjust shadows and use masking tools for realistic blending. Create animated video loops with dynamic object movements.

Highlights
  • Add 3D objects to photos
  • Apply reflective/refractive styles
  • Adjust model shadows
  • Built-in masking tools
  • Create animated video loops
  • High-resolution image/video export
Read full description

= = = = = Brought to you by the award-winning app development team, Pixite. With Matter, alter the reality of your photos by seamlessly adding unique 3D objects to them. Choose from 4 packs of models ranging from simple geometric shapes to complex, architectural structures. Once you’ve chosen your object, select from a range of visual styles to make it reflective or refractive, opaque or translucent. Output high resolution images and even videos. Make your edits even more realistic by adding and adjusting the model’s shadow. Fine-tune the shadow's position, opacity, and strength. Use the built-in masking tools to erase portions of your model or shadow to seamlessly blend it into your photo's environment. Use the unique video export feature to create short animated loops of the object spinning, pulsing, and hovering in your photo. Adjust the rotation speed and direction for a different effect every time. Make sure to share your Matter edits on Instagram using #matterapp for a chance to be featured.

About

AR Lightning

Create realistic lightning effects from your fingertips using augmented reality. Control the direction and intensity of the lightning in real-time by changing your hand pose. Save your creations as videos or photos and share them.

Highlights
  • AR hand pose recognition
  • Real-time lightning control
  • Customizable ray color and power
  • Save as video or photo
  • Share to social media
  • Select photos from camera roll
Features
Read full description

●This app recognizes the pose of the hand captured by the AR camera and emits a flashy force lightning ray from the finger. ●Apple's human body image recognition technology is used to recognize hand pose images. ●By changing the pose of the hand, you can freely control the direction and on / off of the light beam in real time. In Star Wars, Sith's Dark Sidious and Count Dooku were fighting the Jedi Knights with this Force Lightning as a weapon. The rays of light emitted from the fingers in the camera are amazing just by looking at them. You can enjoy this Force Lightning effect on the AR screen that is displayed in real time. You can also save the powerful image in a video or photo or share it on SNS. You can even select a photo stored in your camera roll and save it to a video or photo. Let's enjoy the feeling of Star Wars. [Image Selection] - AR camera - Camera shooting: Photograph - Camera roll: Photo [Settings] - Selection of light emitting fingers (common to both hands) - Ray color setting (RGBA slider) - Background brightness - Ray power - Sound effect switch - Video length (5-30 seconds) - Save resolution [output] - Save to camera roll: videos, photos - Video / Photo Sharing: AirDrop, LINE, Facebook, Dropbox, Instagram, ...

Screenshots

Matter4 screens
AR Lightning4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Matter at 82% against AR Lightning's 0%. Matter also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (304 vs 3). AR Lightning's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Matter costs $4.99 and AR Lightning $1.99 up front. Matter sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. AR Lightning asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Matter holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Matter has 304 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Matter's written reviews are positive against 0% of AR Lightning's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Matter ships an update monthly, AR Lightning weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Matter versus AR Lightning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMatterAR Lightning
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.5 (304 ratings) — better2.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings304 — better3
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.713.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size335 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPixite Inc.Masanori Katsuta

Customer experience

Matter

All ratings304 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews647 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative12.5%

AR Lightning

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Matter

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to open app or load new projects
  • Rendering quality issues, especially on newer devices
  • Crashes when trying to add custom audio

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to import custom 3D objects
  • Extend video duration beyond 15 seconds
  • Improve audio integration with ability to use own music
  • Implement layering and depth control for 3D objects

AR Lightning

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Matter

One-time6
  • Forms in OrbitFree
  • Twisted Geometry$0.99
  • Stock and Render$0.99
Show 3 more
  • Future Machines$1.99
  • Master Pack$2.99
  • Forever Unlock$4.99
None

AR Lightning

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Matter free?
Matter costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is AR Lightning free?
AR Lightning costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Matter or AR Lightning?
Matter is rated higher. Matter averages 4.5 out of 5 from 304 ratings, while AR Lightning averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Matter or AR Lightning have ads?
Neither Matter nor AR Lightning shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Matter or AR Lightning?
Matter ships an update monthly, and AR Lightning weekly. Most recently, Matter was updated on September 23, 2026 and AR Lightning on September 11, 2026.

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