AllApps

Camera apps you buy once.

Buy ProCam. It covers manual stills, RAW and video in one app and is the usual answer for anyone who has outgrown the stock camera. Camera M is cleaner and cheaper if you only shoot stills. Slow Shutter Cam is a one-trick app and worth it for that trick alone. ProMovie Recorder is the video equivalent. Read the catch on each — every one of them has reviewers reporting it dropping shots.

The filter. Every app here is a single purchase. None of them can start charging you monthly for what you already bought. See every app under this rule ›
Top pick

ProCam - Pro Camera

Tinkerworks Apps
View on the App Store ›
$9.99 once4.6★ (35,353)Updated Oct 26, 2026
Verdict
ProCam is a manual camera app that's easy to pick up, but recent reviews describe slow shooting, crashes when deleting photos, lag, and extra paywalls or ads for things some users feel should already be included after the purchase.
Best for
An iPhone or iPad photographer who wants manual controls without a monthly bill and can tolerate occasional lag or a crash now and then.
The catch
Several reviewers report the app still paywalls extra features and shows ads after the one-time purchase, plus crashes when deleting photos and slow, laggy shooting.
One-time purchaseManual controlsRAWNo subscription

Camera M - Pro Manual Camera

bxb
View on the App Store ›
$8.99 once4.5★ (1,423)Updated Oct 19, 2026
Verdict
Camera M gets praised for a clean, well-designed manual camera interface with real depth for macro and exposure control, though a small number of users find it confusing at first and a few report crashes.
Best for
iPhone photographers who want manual shutter, focus, and exposure control beyond the stock camera app without a subscription eating into future updates.
The catch
A handful of reviewers describe the interface as confusing when they first open it, and a few report crashes, so it isn't guaranteed to be plug-and-play.
One-time purchaseManual stillsNo tracking

Slow Shutter Cam

Cogitap Software
View on the App Store ›
$2.99 once4.6★ (2,812)Updated Oct 25, 2026
Verdict
Does one thing and is loved for it. Light trails, silky water, star trails — the long-exposure shots a phone is not supposed to be able to take.
Best for
Anyone who has tried to photograph moving water or traffic and been disappointed.
The catch
It is a single effect. Outside of long exposures there is no reason to open it, and you will still want a normal camera app for everything else.
One-time purchaseLong exposureLight trails

ProMovie Recorder +

Panda Apps Limited
View on the App Store ›
$2.99 once4.7★ (2,978)Updated Sep 18, 2026
Verdict
ProMovie Recorder gives manual control over exposure, white balance and ISO in a simple interface, and exporting to the camera roll works well for most. But a meaningful slice of reviewers report crashes on recording and audio sync problems on export, with no response from support when they ask about it.
Best for
Someone who wants manual video controls on an iPhone without learning a complex app, and who mainly exports straight to the camera roll rather than syncing audio to another editing system.
The catch
Some users report the app crashing when they hit record, and others see audio sync issues after exporting, with support emails going unanswered.
One-time purchaseManual videoFrame rate control

Side by side.

AppPriceStillsVideoSpecialismUpdated
ProCam - Pro Camera$9.99 once YesYesEverythingOct 26, 2026
Camera M - Pro Manual Camera$8.99 once YesNoManual stillsOct 19, 2026
Slow Shutter Cam$2.99 once YesNoLong exposureOct 25, 2026
ProMovie Recorder +$2.99 once NoYesManual videoSep 18, 2026

Who should skip this entirely.

Almost everyone. The built-in Camera shoots RAW on Pro models, holds focus and exposure on a long press, and now does long exposures on Live Photos. If you have not hit a specific wall — a shutter speed you cannot set, a frame rate you cannot pick — you are buying controls you will not touch. And no app changes the lens, which is what actually limits a phone photograph.

Questions.

Will one of these make my photos sharper?No. They give you control over exposure, focus and file format. The lens and sensor set the ceiling, and no software moves it.
Do I need one of these to shoot RAW?Not on a Pro iPhone — ProRAW is built in. On other models, yes, a third-party camera is the only way to get a RAW file.

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