Light Meter vs Light Meter Ultra
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.
Light Meter Ultra
This app provides precise light metering for film photography, eliminating the need for external hardware. It offers various metering modes and customizable profiles to ensure perfect exposures for manual cameras. Advanced features like reciprocity failure correction are available with a PRO plan.
- Aperture Priority Metering
- Shutter Priority Metering
- Exposure Priority Metering
- Customizable ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture
- Exposure Compensation
- Reciprocity Failure Correction
- Custom Camera Profiles
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Fast, precise and easy to use. Get perfect exposures every time. No additional hardware required. Say goodbye to arcane Sunny 16. Figuring out the best exposure settings for your manual camera doesn’t have to be difficult. Light Meter Ultra for iPhone gives you the exact readings you need for your camera by simply pointing your device at the scene. Precise measurements mean you can dial in the perfect exposure settings for capturing the widest dynamic range, whilst customizable shooting profiles allow you to switch between settings with a single tap. Download now and take advantage of our free plan which includes our precision Aperture Priority metering mode, limited settings, and single-use shooting profiles. Or choose one of our PRO plans and gain access to everything the app has to offer, including our full suite of professional metering modes, quick-select reusable shooting profiles, plus advanced features such as reciprocity failure correction that you won't find elsewhere. Capture your creative vision with powerful features, including: - Aperture Priority Metering Mode - Shutter Priority Metering Mode* - Exposure Priority Metering Mode* - Stop increment selection of full, half or third stops* - Customizable ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture ranges* - Exposure Compensation - Exposure Lock - Sample Offset - Custom Camera Profiles* - Detachable Lens Profiles* - Film/Emulsion Profiles* - Bulb-mode* - Reciprocity Failure Correction* *Features marked with an asterisk require an active PRO plan Download now and start metering on your iPhone today. Terms of Use: https://lightmeterultra.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://lightmeterultra.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Light Meter Ultra at 4.7 against Light Meter's 2.5. Light Meter Ultra also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 71 months) and ratings volume (738 vs 31). 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 Light Meter Ultra sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Light Meter Ultra holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Meter Ultra has 738 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Light Meter's written reviews are positive against 38% of Light Meter Ultra's.
Light Meter ships an update every 71 months, Light Meter Ultra every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Meter | Light Meter Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (31 ratings) | 4.7 (738 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.5% of reviews | 37.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 31 | 738 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 71 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tu Anh Do | Ultrafine |
Customer experience
Light Meter
Light Meter Ultra
Bugs and requests
Light Meter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Light Meter Ultra
Reported bugs
2 issues- Camera integration issues causing failed exposures
- Inconsistent metering results compared to standalone meters
Requested features
4 requests- Offline mode for remote shooting
- Wider aperture and shutter speed range
- Support for more camera/film types
- Customizable exposure bias/compensation
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
Light Meter Ultra
- Light Meter7 Days trial2 variants$7.997 Days
- Light Meter2 variants$11.991 Month
- Light Meter2 variants$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Light Meter free?
Is Light Meter Ultra free?
Which has better reviews, Light Meter or Light Meter Ultra?
Do Light Meter or Light Meter Ultra have ads?
Which is updated more often, Light Meter or Light Meter Ultra?
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