Light Meter vs Lightme
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Light Meter
Measure ambient light levels using your smartphone's camera. Get quick and precise lux readings for personal use, saving you the cost of professional equipment. Simply open the app and point your camera to see real-time measurements.
- Easy lux measurement
- High precision readings
- Real-time updates
- Unique and attractive design
- Simple and convenient to use
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Light Meter – Professional Exposure & Lux Meter Turn your iPhone into a powerful light meter for photography, filmmaking, video, studio lighting, and everyday light measurement. Measure light levels in lux, foot-candles, and EV, then instantly calculate the ideal camera exposure using ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Use precise spot metering, average metering, exposure compensation, histogram, waveform, false color, and zebra tools to better understand every lighting situation. Professional Light Metering Live lux and foot-candle measurement EV and EV100 calculations Spot, average, center-weighted, and multi-zone metering Exposure lock and compensation Custom calibration profiles Measurement stability and confidence indicators Photography & Video Tools ISO, aperture, and shutter calculator Exposure triangle Histogram Waveform monitor False color Zebra exposure display Zone System Lighting ratio calculator Color temperature estimation ND & Long Exposure ND filter calculator Long exposure calculator Shutter speed conversion Optical density calculations Reciprocity calculator for film photography Lighting Analysis Measure key, fill, rim, and background lighting Calculate lighting ratios Create lighting measurement maps Analyze lighting uniformity Save measurements with notes and photos Professional Workflow Measurement history Project-based measurement sessions Photo and EXIF analysis Custom reference profiles CSV, JSON, PDF, and image export iCloud synchronization Apple Watch companion Home Screen widgets Apple Shortcuts support Designed with a clean, modern iOS interface, Light Meter gives photographers, cinematographers, filmmakers, lighting technicians, students, and creators a powerful set of tools for understanding light and making better exposure decisions. Note: Camera-based lux measurements are estimates and can vary by device, scene, and calibration. For professional or compliance-critical measurements, use a calibrated external light sensor. The App offers two subscription options: -$3.99 Monthly -$34.99 Yearly Prices may vary by location. Privacy Policy: https://privacy.vanlangapps.com Terms of Use: https://tos.vanlangapps.com Should you choose to upgrade to a Pro subscription, payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You may cancel automatic renewal and manage your subscription by selecting Manage App Subscriptions in your iTunes Account settings and selecting the subscription you want to modify. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a Pro subscription, where applicable.
Lightme
This powerful light meter app offers a clean, intuitive interface optimized for one-handed use. It displays multiple aperture and shutter speed combinations simultaneously, aiding quick setting selection. Suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike, it includes advanced features like spot metering, reciprocity failure compensation, and pinhole mode.
- Multiple exposure settings display
- One-handed operation
- Spot metering with zoom
- Reciprocity failure compensation
- Pinhole mode
- Incident light metering
- Film database
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Lightme - Lightmeter is a clean, simple to use yet very powerful lightmeter. It is optimised for an easy one-handed use, both for left-handed and right-handed users, with the main controls within your thumb's reach, without the fatiguing juggling of your precious smartphone. A core distinguishing feature of Lightme - Lightmeter is that - differently from most of the other apps - it can show multiple combinations of valid settings for aperture and shutterspeed at the same time by working like a - stretched out - old needle and wheel lightmeter. This allows the user to quickly pick the desired settings without having to scroll on a tiny wheel picker. The app is designed to be welcoming to people who are just starting out, with a simple one-button use. But it offers many useful and advanced features for the more experienced shooters/users: Continuous metering (by pressing and holding or double tapping the measure button) Spot metering with a variable zoom (for more precision) which also supports average metering, and a very intuitive implementation of the zone system Automatic reciprocity failure compensation (for 25+ films, if you see exposure times in red, they are being compensated) A dedicated pinhole mode with precise exposure times for user defined apertures (multiple apertures at a time), with the possibility of setting a timer (through a shortcut) Incident light metering with calibration when using the front facing camera And more ... It also includes some other features that are enjoyable by any kind of user: Black and white preview The ability to use any of the cameras on your smartphone (swipe left/right on the preview) Multiple presets for your different camera/film/lens setups Framelines for previewing your shot, before setting up your tripod etc. A searchable list of useful tips to make better use of the application's potential A searchable list of more than 70 films to choose from with the possibility of selecting a few favourites Dark mode support and a useful level of customisation You can find even more info in the tips inside the app or you can have a look at full user manual by tapping on manual (in the settings) The app is free in all its many functionalities, but it offers In-App-Purchases in order to support the project. The only minor perk you can enable only via certain IAPs is the replacement of the Ad button with a label containing the name of your current preset, check under settings -> coffee for more info. Don't panic though, even if there's an Ad button it doesn't mean I'm going to show you ads. In fact unless you decide to tap on that button I'm never going to show you any. But if you have a few minutes to spare, watching a few of them sure helps keeping this project alive :) Try it, and, if you like it, share it with your friends and consider writing a (mini) review ;) Have a nice day, and good light!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightme at 91% against Light Meter's 29%. Lightme also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 71 months). Light Meter's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Light Meter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Lightme sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightme has 925 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 91% of Lightme's.
Light Meter ships an update every 71 months, Lightme every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Meter | Lightme |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (31 ratings) | 4.8 (925 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | 90.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 31 | 925 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 71 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tu Anh Do | Giuseppe Bertolini |
Customer experience
Light Meter
Lightme
Bugs and requests
Light Meter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Lightme
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on iOS 16
- Metering issues with certain camera/lens combinations
Requested features
5 requests- Add shutter angle adjustment for cinematography
- Implement ISO lock feature
- Add more film stock profiles
- Improve film selection process (e.g. search, categories)
- Provide more customization options (e.g. interface themes)
In-app purchases
Light Meter
- Light Meter Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Light Meter Pro Yearly$34.991 Year
- Lighte Meter Pro Lifetime$79.99
Lightme
- Espresso ristretto$1.99
- Pecorino Romano$4.99
- Guanciale$9.99
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- Parmigiano$16.99
- Pizza for two$29.99
- Do this full-time$59.99








