# Metapho vs ARK Studio

The clearest difference is update cadence: ARK Studio at every 3 days against Metapho's every 2 months. ARK Studio also leads on iOS requirement (18.5 vs 26.0). Metapho's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Metapho sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and ARK Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Metapho ships an update every 2 months, ARK Studio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Metapho | ARK Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metapho/id914457352/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.5** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zininworks Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/431572491) | [方舟 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827738818) |

## What reviewers say

### Metapho

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metapho/id914457352)

This app allows users to view and edit EXIF metadata for their photos. It offers features like removing geotags, changing dates, and batch editing, with support for various file formats and cloud storage.

**Highlights:** View EXIF data, Edit photo metadata, Remove geotags, Change date/time, Batch editing, Supports HEIC, DNG, CR2, NEF, Live Photos, videos, Files app integration

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| One-Time Purchase | $59.99 | one-time |
| One-Time Purchase | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful metadata editing
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 🔒 Respects user privacy
- 💡 Useful for photographers and privacy advocates
- 👍 Convenient location and date editing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid features required for full functionality
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific photos
- 🔍 No access to hidden photo albums

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent behavior when editing dates and locations
- Issues with batch processing of photos
- Crashes when trying to edit metadata for certain file types

**Requested features**

- Batch editing of metadata (title, description, keywords)
- Support for RAW file formats
- Integration with Google Maps
- Advanced search and filtering options
- Ability to copy/paste metadata between photos


### ARK Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-studio/id6756344317)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 12 credits | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Metapho free?

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

### Is ARK Studio free?

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

### Do Metapho or ARK Studio have ads?

Neither Metapho nor ARK Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Metapho or ARK Studio?

Metapho ships an update every 2 months, and ARK Studio every 3 days. Most recently, Metapho was updated on October 14, 2026 and ARK Studio on October 8, 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.*