It's close: Darkroom edges it 8.8 to 8.7, so the right pick depends on what you need. Darkroom wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Halide on 2, with 1 tied.
Apple users who want quick, high-quality edits straight from the Photos app
iPhone photographers who want manual control and natural-looking RAW files
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Darkroom | Halide |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo & Video | Photo & Video |
| Category rank | #3 of 8 | #4 of 8 |
| Developer | Bergen Co. | Lux Optics |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Subscription |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
Strengths and weaknesses
Darkroom
- Clean interface that stays out of your way
- No import step thanks to Photos library integration
- Fast previews even with large RAW files
- Apple devices only
- Advanced tools need a Darkroom+ plan
Darkroom is the best-designed photo editor on Apple devices. It works straight from your Photos library, so there's no import step, and it handles RAW files, curves, color grading and batch edits quickly. Video editing uses the same tools. The free version covers the basics, while Darkroom+ unlocks the advanced tools. Get it if you live in Apple Photos and want speed without a cloud account.
Full Darkroom review
Halide
- Controls fall right under your thumb
- Process Zero gives natural, less processed images
- No account needed and very little data collection
- iPhone and iPad only
- No free tier beyond the trial
Halide is the best manual camera app for iPhone. It puts focus, shutter speed and ISO under your thumb, and adds focus peaking, a live histogram and RAW capture. Process Zero skips Apple's heavy image processing for natural, film-like shots. The catch is price: after the trial you pick a subscription or a one-time purchase. Get it if you care how your iPhone photos are processed.
Full Halide review
