But what is the best camera app for iPhone? This will all come down to your specific working style, so read on to find your next photographic assistant. [Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
Best Camera Apps for iPhone
The iPhone camera system has made an incredible improvement over the past few years. It’s even now allows for long exposure images of waterfalls without a tripod! Although the phone comes with a standard camera app, some iPhone camera apps allow for more advanced options.
1. Camera+ 2
iOS: 14.0 or later Best For: Manual camera settings Price: $$
This is one of Apple’s iOS camera apps that has been big since its inception. The first version was already a great app. But the recently released version 2 is setting the standard very high. This iPhone camera app offers editing options as well, so in a way, it’s similar to Adobe Lightroom CC. But this app is a camera first and editing software second. Manual mode gives you the chance to change ISO, white balance, or even shutter speed which is a great feature. The app also lets you shoot in RAW and then edit these photos to get the best possible results. It also allows you to take timed photos, giving you time to hit the shutter and then get in front of the camera. For low-light situations, the stabilizer function will allow the photo to be taken when the camera is the most stable handheld. Pros:
Plenty of features App is integrated into iPhone features
Cons:
Price Can take up space fast
2. ProCamera
iOS: 14.1 or later Best For: Controlling camera in different ways Price: $$$
The leading alternative to Camera+ is ProCamera. In fact, this offers a very similar set of features to the Camera+ app. It’s a bit like choosing between a Nikon or a Canon camera or an Apple computer or a PC. Being able to use your apple watch as a remote trigger for your phone makes it one of the best iPhone camera apps. This app’s long exposure feature is called low light, and it comes with some great features. You’ll be able to set a self-timer for the exposure and then set the exposure time itself for several seconds. Pros:
Easy to use A lot of auto features
Cons:
Price Slows down your process
3. Slow Shutter Cam
iOS: 11 or later Best For: Long exposure image Price: $
As opposed to the previous best iPhone camera app options, this iOS camera app has the feel of an add-on. Those who download Slow Shutter Cam often go for a specific type of photo. But it still has some great features. The remote trigger from an Apple Watch is available, a fantastic iPhone camera app feature. The motion blur feature allows you to create panning-like images or switch to the light painting mode for even longer exposures. Pros:
Original slow shutter app Multiple functions
Cons:
Night mode is not as great as the newest iPhone feature
Best Camera Apps To Edit Your Photos
Editing your photos on the move can be a great way to save time. The photos you edit could be taken by your iPhone camera or uploaded from another camera to your iPhone.
4. Snapseed
iOS: 12.4 or later Best For: Selective retouching Price: Free
This powerful photo editing app allows you to edit your photos using some filter-like options. The app uses aspects of the Nik Efex programming, which Google bought to create Snapseed. This brought professional-level editing tools to the mobile platform. Although Google sold Nik Efex, its iOS camera app is still available. Pros:
Great selection of tools Free
Cons:
Some say it’s outdated Not as refined as paid apps
5. Photoshop Express
iOS: 13.0 or later Best For: Smooth editing Price: Free
The Photoshop Express app is bringing Photoshop to your iPhone. But you’re not going to be using layer masks with this camera app. Photoshop Express allows you to make more simple edits, such as distortion or cropping on your iPhone camera app. There is also a selection of filter-like options or sliders for saturation and brightness that you can use. You might not be able to use the full features of Photoshop on your iPhone. But this app allows you to save your edited work as a PSD Photoshop file. That’s nice because it means you can begin editing on your iPhone and finish editing on the desktop version of Photoshop later on. This is definitely one of the best iPhone camera apps for detailed edits. If you have a Creative Cloud subscription, you can get access to the app’s paid features. Pros:
Save preset filters Easy editing control
Cons:
You don’t have full control like on Photoshop
6. Adobe Lightroom
iOS: 14.0 or later Best For: Photo Storage Price: Free
This is another great iPhone camera app. Lightroom is Adobe’s other leading photography editing platform, and this mobile version is among the best for an iOS camera app. It’s free to download and comes with a lot of excellent features. You can make swift edits by using curves to adjust highlights, shadows, and contrast. Lightroom also has a camera feature built into the app. This allows you to use your iPhone like a pro-level photographer. If you want to push it onto another level, pay up to unlock the premium features. This will provide you with RAW editing, selective editing, or removing unwanted elements of your photos. Lightroom is the best camera app for organization. Pros:
Edits with sliders Organizes your photography
Cons:
It can be tricky to perform certain tasks
7. VSCO
iOS: 13.0 or later Best For: Batch photo editing Price: Free
VSCO is listed among the top camera apps for iPhone. Many people prefer VSCO over Instagram because of the editing options. This program also comes with an in-app camera. This allows you to take photos in the app and then edit them. VSCO app is available for free, with the option to upgrade for even more features. Pros:
Save your edits as “recipes” Easy to use interface
Cons:
Overwrites RAW images No computer integration
8. Pixlr
iOS: 10.0 or later Best For: Taking edits into different layouts Price: Free
Pixlr is a free photo editing app with lots of options. It offers effects, filters, and overlays. It is easy to handle and compatible with social media. You can crop and resize your photos and add frames or stickers. Pixlr also has creative tools such as double exposure, collages, or templates. The sky is the limit to editing your pictures with this iPhone camera app. Pros:
You can put your edits straight into a collage Auto color correction
Cons:
Other apps have more specific editing options
Best Camera Apps To Turn Your Photos Into Art
9. Prisma Photo Editor
iOS: 14.0 or later Best For: Fun edits Price: $$$
Prisma Photo Editor is an iPhone camera app that helps you turn your photos into art. It offers photo effects that turn your images into paintings. There are 300 art styles available in the app. You can use styles of famous artists such as Van Gogh or Picasso. Besides, you can also enhance your photos with editing tools such as exposure or contrast. Prisma offers a 3-day free trial, and then you can choose a monthly or a yearly subscription. The range of options you get makes this one of the top camera apps for the iPhone. Pros:
500+ different styles to choose from Uses AI technology
Cons:
Edits can look photoshopped, not painted
10. PixelWakker
iOS: 12.0 or later Best For: Wacky edits Price: Free
PixelWakker is one of the best camera apps for the iPhone when it comes to artistic effects. The app splits photos into pixels and then turns the pixels into art. The app follows the rules of pointillism. You can turn the pixels into lines and other different shapes. It is a free iPhone camera app. Pros:
Range of unique edits Easy to navigate
Cons:
Not as refined as other apps
11. RNI Films
iOS: 13.0 or later Best For: Simulating film aesthetic Price: Free
RNI Films camera app allows you to get the film look while shooting digital. You can choose from stunning film-simulating filters to enhance your photos. There are also adjustments tools available to edit your images. RNI Films is compatible with Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This is a free camera app, but you have the option to upgrade to its premium version. Pros:
Many different types of film Made by photographers
Cons:
Only exports in JPEG
Best Camera Apps To Share Your Photos
You captured the photo and edited it. Now the final step is to share it. Several photography sites have huge communities of photographers. Each of these has apps available for sharing, so you can choose the photography site you most enjoy.
12. Instagram
iOS: 12.0 or later Best For: Browsing great photographers Price: Free
The most well-known of today’s photo-sharing apps. It’s for mobile devices but also has a website you can visit. Instagram gained traction with the surge in smartphones, while other, more desktop-based sites were a little slow to catch up. The camera app for iPhone comes with a basic camera and some photo editing features. The real value, though, is in sharing photos. It’s not without accident that phrases like “Instafamous” and “doing it for the gram” can be bumped into these days. Pros:
Biggest photography platform for social media Great way to expand your network
Cons:
Not serious photography
13. 500px
iOS: 13.0 or later Best For: Specifically for photographers Price: Free
This site is more geared towards immaculate landscape and portrait photography. It is desktop-based, but the camera app for iPhone works great and has a good level of functionality to it. Is this the site for uploading photos taken with a smartphone? Well, if you do so, you’ll need to make sure the images you upload are as perfect as possible. Pros:
Join in the photographic community Great design
Cons:
It can be buggy on phones
14. Flickr
iOS: 12.0 or later Best For: A wide range of photography Price: Free
Even though it was the original photography sharing website, it’s lost its way in recent years. There have been efforts to revive it, but it’s hard to get it back to its position. That being said, it still offers the best infrastructure to engage with other photographers. The community aspect of this site is also way better than what 500px and Instagram have to offer. The type of photos that are shared and featured here are wider and better curated than what other sites offer. This feature makes Flickr a top camera app for iPhone. Pros:
Wide range of photographic work You can see and browse by metadata
Cons:
You will come across a lot of rubbish photos
Best Camera Apps To Help Plan Your Outdoor Photography Trips
15. The Photographer’s Ephemeris
iOS: 13.0 or later Best For: Predicting light conditions Price: $$$
The Photographer’s Ephemeris is an outstanding iPhone camera app that doesn’t fit into any of the above categories. However, it is handy for planning any type of outdoor photography. You can plan how the light will hit your location anytime, anywhere on Earth, thanks to its features. It also has augmented reality which helps with location scouting. The camera app for iPhone also shows the position and the route of the Sun, the Moon, and the Milky Way. Moreover, you can also use its offline maps without having any internet connection. It’s an iPhone app that is well worth its price. Pros:
Shows Sun/Moon rise times and directions It shows you land elevation
Cons:
It takes a bit of practice to set up quickly
Conclusion
There are plenty of awesome camera apps for iPhone photography and the list is still growing. It is not easy to pick a few out of the many. There are plenty of options to take, edit, or share photos. With these camera apps for iPhone, you’ll have a fantastic-looking social media profile in no time! Use our Quick Capture Cheat Sheets next time you’re out and about!
