# Seek Thermal vs Thermal Effect

The clearest difference is rating: Thermal Effect at 4.4 against Seek Thermal's 2.5. Thermal Effect also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 months). Seek Thermal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thermal Effect sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Seek Thermal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Thermal Effect holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 321 and 155 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Seek Thermal's written reviews are positive against 22% of Thermal Effect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Seek Thermal ships an update every 3 months, Thermal Effect daily. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Seek Thermal | Thermal Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (321 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seek-thermal/id920891746/reviews) | **[4.4 (155 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-effect-night-camera/id6480454416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **321** | 155 |
| Positive reviews | **23.8% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 112 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seek Thermal, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/920891745) | [Taalaibek Abakirov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845047526) |

## What reviewers say

### Seek Thermal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seek-thermal/id920891746)

Transform your smartphone into a professional thermal imaging camera. Detect, inspect, measure, and visualize thermal energy in various environments, day or night. Capture and share thermal photos and videos with ease.

**Highlights:** Turn phone into thermal camera, Capture and share thermal photos/videos, Take spot temperatures, Inspect and diagnose thermal sources, Examine objects in any light, Multiple viewing modes and palettes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Affordable thermal camera
- 👍 Compact and portable design
- ✨ Useful for various applications (home inspection, hunting, etc.)
- 💡 Thermal imaging capabilities on mobile devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 🔌 Drains phone battery quickly
- 🔍 Image quality and resolution issues
- 🤖 Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions and devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Camera not detected or recognized
- Thermal image orientation issues
- Inability to save or access captured images

**Requested features**

- Add ability to adjust emissivity
- Improve image processing and overlay features
- Implement better temperature measurement tools
- Provide more user-friendly tutorials and documentation


### Thermal Effect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermal-effect-night-camera/id6480454416)

Explore the world through a thermal lens with this app. It transforms your photos and videos with various heat vision effects, emulating different thermal imaging devices. Easily create and share unique visual content.

**Highlights:** Thermal imaging effects, Heat vision filters, Multiple viewing modes, Photo and video enhancement, Easy to use interface, Share creations

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thermal Effects Weekly Trial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Thermal Effects Weekly Promo | $4.99 | per 7 days |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Seek Thermal free?

Seek Thermal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Thermal Effect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Seek Thermal or Thermal Effect?

Thermal Effect is rated higher. Seek Thermal averages 2.5 out of 5 from 321 ratings, while Thermal Effect averages 4.4 from 155 ratings.

### Do Seek Thermal or Thermal Effect have ads?

Neither Seek Thermal nor Thermal Effect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Seek Thermal or Thermal Effect?

Seek Thermal ships an update every 3 months, and Thermal Effect daily. Most recently, Seek Thermal was updated on October 16, 2026 and Thermal Effect on October 10, 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.*