# Jolly Lights vs Mavis Camera

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mavis Camera at fortnightly against Jolly Lights's every 9 months. Mavis Camera also leads on ratings volume (746 vs 49). Jolly Lights's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 59%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Jolly Lights sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Mavis Camera sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Jolly Lights against 4.4 for Mavis Camera. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mavis Camera has 746 ratings behind it against 49, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Jolly Lights's written reviews are positive against 59% of Mavis Camera's.

Jolly Lights ships an update every 9 months, Mavis Camera fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Jolly Lights | Mavis Camera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-lights/id933263480/reviews) | [4.4 (746 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mavis-camera-pro-capture/id979227459/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 49 | **746** |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 59.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 68 MB | 253 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wrinkle-free Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/441736974) | [Mavis Broadcast](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458348258) |

## What reviewers say

### Jolly Lights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-lights/id933263480)

Add festive holiday lights to your photos or create original illuminated art. Customize bulb size, color, and placement, and enhance your creations with frames and text. Share your animated light designs as videos or GIFs.

**Highlights:** Holiday light decoration, Customizable bulb editor, Themed photo frames, Text overlays, Light animation timers, Video and GIF export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Holiday Pack #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Text Mode | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Pack #2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Pack #3 | $1.99 | one-time |


### Mavis Camera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mavis-camera-pro-capture/id979227459)

This app offers advanced video recording and live streaming capabilities for creators and professionals. It provides manual camera controls, professional monitoring tools, and various output options for seamless integration into modern workflows.

**Highlights:** ProRes, HEVC 10-bit, Open Gate recording, Custom and Filter LUTs for filmic looks, Advanced monitoring tools (focus peaking, zebras), Manual camera controls (focus, exposure, ISO), NDI® HX3 Certified, Camera to Cloud integrations (Frame.io, MediaSilo), Live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, Facebook

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mavis C2C | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Pass | $29.99 | per year |
| Mavis C2C | $29.99 | per month |
| Timecode UltraSync BLUE | Free | one-time |
| Timecode | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gimbals | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buy us a coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| Viewfinder | $5.99 | one-time |
| Formats | $5.99 | one-time |
| Pro Tools | $5.99 | one-time |
| Film Kit | $14.99 | one-time |
| Pro Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Big Bundle | $17.99 | one-time |
| API | $19.99 | one-time |
| NDI® | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🎥 Excellent video quality and features
- 🔧 Comprehensive manual controls
- 🎨 Useful tools like focus peaking and waveform monitor
- 🔒 Stable and reliable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🚫 Removal of useful features like OpenGate
- 💰 Paywall for essential features like LUT support
- 🤔 Confusing layout and settings navigation
- 🔇 Issues with audio codec and sync

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent video metadata and resolution
- Upside-down video playback after switching cameras
- Inability to lock manual shutter speed and ISO
- Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity with external devices
- Saving videos taking an unusually long time

**Requested features**

- Dolby Vision HDR support
- Log color profile and flat picture settings
- Smooth zoom functionality
- Remote monitoring and control capabilities
- Improved gimbal integration and support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Jolly Lights free?

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

### Is Mavis Camera free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Jolly Lights or Mavis Camera?

Jolly Lights and Mavis Camera are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 49 and 746 ratings respectively.

### Do Jolly Lights or Mavis Camera have ads?

Neither Jolly Lights nor Mavis Camera shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Jolly Lights or Mavis Camera?

Jolly Lights ships an update every 9 months, and Mavis Camera fortnightly. Most recently, Jolly Lights was updated on October 16, 2026 and Mavis Camera on October 17, 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.*