iRAW vs Knurl Camera
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iRAW
Capture high-quality photos using your iPhone's RAW capabilities. Offers manual controls for shutter speed and ISO, along with a live histogram and grid lines for precise adjustments. Photos are saved in DNG format for extensive post-processing options.
- Manual and automatic camera modes
- RAW photo capture (DNG format)
- Shutter speed and ISO control
- Live histogram
- Optional 2-second delay
- Grid lines
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iRAW is a camera app that supports manual and automatic modes and uses the RAW photo capability of your newer-model iPhone. All photos are stored in DNG (digital negative) RAW format, which if correctly processed can result in very nice photographs. RAW photos require about 15 MB per photo, as they are stored in DNG format. iRAW lets you use Airdrop to copy photos to your Mac and you can email photos as email attachments. In manual mode, iRAW provides sliders to control shutter speed and ISO. There is an optional 2-second delay before taking a photo. There is a live histogram to help you take better photos and optional grid lines.
Knurl Camera
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Knurl is a camera for people who would rather develop the photo themselves. It captures true Bayer RAW: the sensor's own mosaic, written straight to a DNG with none of the computational photography that normally happens on the way. No multi-frame fusion, no tone curve, no sharpening. What lands in your library is undeveloped data with all of its latitude intact, ready for Lightroom or Photos to interpret however you like. THE CONTROLS ARE THE POINT A mode wheel you turn, with the real designations: P for program, Tv for shutter priority, Sv for ISO priority, M for full manual. Every position clicks. ISO and shutter move in thirds of a stop along the standard photographic ladders, on a dial that detents at every rung. Whole stops click harder than thirds, so you can count them by feel without looking. The ends of each ladder are the sensor's genuine limits rather than round numbers, which means base ISO, the cleanest the sensor gets, is actually reachable. Exposure compensation on its own scale, in thirds, with a firmer detent at zero. In manual it becomes the meter, because compensation has nothing left to act on when both controls are already fixed. An AF/MF switch and a focus ring you turn like a ring: relative, so touching it never jumps focus, and marked near to far rather than in invented distances. Three lenses, each at its native focal length, read from the hardware. HONEST ABOUT ITSELF Bayer RAW is 12 MP and does not permit zoom. The 48 MP path would mean Apple ProRAW, which is demosaiced and partially processed, so Knurl does not offer it. When the exposure you have asked for is not achievable, it says so rather than pretending. Your shots go to a Knurl album you can browse in the app, pinch to zoom, and swipe through. Volume buttons fire the shutter. Add the Control to your Action Button, Lock Screen or Control Center to open it without unlocking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: iRAW at 3 against Knurl Camera's 1. iRAW also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | iRAW | Knurl Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zack Smith | Dimitrios Zarkadas |
In-app purchases
iRAW
No in-app purchases
Knurl Camera
No in-app purchases









